The Glory Days
by Shawn30
Summary: Episode 6. "slow, hauntingly sensual music plays, intercut with quick flashing images" A man and a woman wet under a hot showers spray... Kim confronting someone angrily... Tommy running hard down a busy city street as fast as he can, sheer terror etched.
1. Episode 1

**Title: "The Glory Days"  
Chapter 1?  
Written by: Shawn**

**Summary: Managing a stressful corporate career while attempting a return to her music and sharing a apartment with her ex-high school honey proves equally challenging and rewarding for Kimberly Ann Hart in 2008.**

**Category: Drama/Romance **

**Rating: M. Adult language, adult situations, and sexual encounters. Chapters containing sex scenes will be marked accordingly. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the PR universe. If I did I'd be living in a mansion.**

**Timeline: Everything up to the end of Dino Thunder is canon. Kim's background post "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" is all my creation. The story is set in January 2008.**

**Notes: This is being written in Kim's P.O.V, so it is Kim-centric with a heavy emphasis on other characters and relationships as well.**

**Authors Notes 1. Sit back, relax, and pretend you're about to watch a new television show airing its series premier. Oh yeah, its on cable. It's featuring characters you grew up with and some new ones I hope you grow to love. None of them are perfect, so don't expect cookie cutter characters who always say, act, think, and react in a Brady Bunch sort of way. They're human and that's why we love them. Imperfect as the day is old.**

**Authors Notes 2: All details as to the how and why things are the way they are will be expiated in the story. Trust me, answers are coming.**

**Authors Notes 3: No chapter in this series will feature more than two scenes in order to make it easier to update more frequently. Also you might see other PR authors dip into this little universe from time to time writing their own chapters. I know certain things that will happen, how and when, but there is no definitive end to this series. Its ongoing until... well, until.**

**Authors Notes 4: TK fans... its gonna be a slow burn. But you know me 'wink'**

* * *

**Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive Elbert Hubbard**

**Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.  
Richard L. Evans**

**If you don't hurry up and let life know what you want, life will damned soon show you what you'll get. ****Robertson Davies**

* * *

_Episode 1 "How Kim got her groove back"_

_An unseen announcer speaks over the end of the credits for the last program aired. "And now the series premier of 'The Glory Days'._

_(Voice over begins with the show's theme song, Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" playing in the background)_

_"Once upon a time there was a little girl growing up in sunny California who wanted a typical life." footage of a little girl with curly brown hair chasing an older brother away running with her Barbie dolls and then kicking him hard in the balls when she caught him "She entertained dreams of being the worlds greatest gymnast." footage of the young girl, about ten years old now racing around her house in her leotard, and then doing jumps and flips under her father's instruction in the backyard of a nice house "She was blessed with the best friends ever." footage of the young girl, a boy with sandy blond hair, another with dark hair, another boy with warm brown eyes, and a girl with long dark hair - all smiling bright for the camera "Like I said, she wanted what she got, a typical life. That was until high school hit and with that monumental occasion came a brave new world. Her first gymnastics competition." footage of the now teenage girl preparing for a first meeting, looking nervous but determined "Her first true love." standing with her best friend, the girl catches sight of a boy preparing for a martial arts tournament that takes her breath away "And the absolute most shocking experience of her entire life." footage tinged in black and white with the words "top secret" scrolling across the bottom of the screen, a Pink Ranger battling alongside her teammates, flying Zords, fighting against and then with a Green Ranger, gazing at the White Ranger_

_"Then her typical life turned upside down when her parents divorced." shots of the girl seated on a couch being talked too by her parents about their breakup, then a tearful goodbye at an airport with her mother and another man "An opportunity of a lifetime that would separate her from from her friends and boyfriend." images of Coach Schmidt, the girl addressing her team, walking with Tommy along the shore, and giving her powers to Katherine "As one door closed, another opened to a new adventure that seemed to send her places she never expected to go." fast moving images of a girl getting off a plane in Florida, training hard, sitting in classes, talking on the phone to her boyfriend, preparing for the international competition and dealing with the press, meeting a new male friend, a deeply powerful kiss with the new guy under moonlight, writing a painful letter while crying her eyes out, more training, the Pan Global games, breaking up with the new guy, getting her first apartment, a tense meeting with her ex-boyfriend after an encounter with the Rangers, them finally making peace at a funeral for a dear friend, her finishing college with honors "With an amazing life already behind her,the next phase came in the form of a job opportunity in New York City, New York." shots of her leaving departing another plane, of gazing out of a taxi at the Big Apple, her face smiling brightly "As it often does when you least expect it, her life began to take turns she hadn't expected." meeting her new band mates who were fixing computers at her office, guys who worked for the Best Buy Geek Squad, them practicing, her getting on stage again for the first time in years. "And most crazy, or wonderful of all, a chance encounter, one in a million, with the man of her... with someone very special." shocked expressions on an older Tommy and Kim's face at a apartment showing, both worrying over not being able to pay the rent individually, an idea struck over coffee, arguing over moving in and who's stuff goes where, accidental moments in the shower, an almost kiss in the rain "She wanted a typical life and yet lived anything but. Angel Grove was chapter one." footage of Angel Grove High and the Command Center "Florida was chapter 2." "footage of Coach Schmidt's training compound, the girl's dorm room, and the beach "New York is the newest chapter." Daytime skyline flyover of New York followed by the grown woman walking the streets of NY, looking sharp, her shoulder length brown hair blowing in the wind, determined and focused on the life ahead of her on screen credits read 'Created and written by Shawn - co-produced with Pink-Green-White-Forever' "That young girl who wanted a typical life grew up to be me. My name is Kimberly Ann Hart and this is my story. The Glory Days of my life."_

* * *

**"The Vault"  
A bar/club where alternative bands perform **

**152 Ludlow Street **

**Friday, January 21, 10:00 PM 2008 **

**New York City, New York**

Okay, seriously, I think I'm turning into a man.

As if sitting at a table with my date, my ex-boyfriend from high school and his fakely well-endowed date wasn't strange enough, my date seems to be in the middle of telling the most boring story ever about a car accident he got into in college with some of his frat brothers. And when I say boring, I'm talking about watching paint dry kind of boring. Like watching every episode of Full House back-to-back nonstop kind of boring that might give you a brain aneurysm.

So I'm sitting here nursing my drink while going over this eternally mystifying question. How can someone so damn hot have so little personality or charisma? He hasn't even made one funny joke all night long. He hasn't said one thing I thought was remotely interesting. Was I so overwhelmed by his tight six pack, strong muscled arms, brandy-colored eyes and sexy walk at the Bally's health club that I simply ignored his inability to mentally hold my interest for longer than ten seconds?

Now say that ten times fast?

Oh crap, I'm silently babbling to myself. It's time for another drink before I lose what's left of my mind. Then again, as Aisha put it, I'm currently in Armageddon date-mode. Meaning I haven't gotten any loving of any kind for so long I'm gonna start adopting cats and forsake men altogether. I corrected my Ranger-sister that Armageddon date-mode only begins when you get up out of bed at 3:00 AM to go buy batteries for that little friend of yours you keep hidden under the mattress.

Now that's Armageddon date-mode.

"... the two guys were wearing these crazy dresses when they jumped out of the car and started doing cartwheels," Paul recalled with alcohol-aided exuberance, trying his best to interject energy into his awfully long tale of college rebellion.

"What color were the dresses?" Tommy questioned as if he cared, darting a smirk my way before looking at Paul again.

Paul gave a full body laugh for some reason. "Man, they were matching polka dot dresses. I kid you not."

Tommy gave a slow nod, rubbing his chin. "Were they short or long dresses?"

"They were ankle length like they wore in the seventies, man."

"Cotton or polyester?"

"Hmmmm... let me think. I was so hammered that night."

Tommy, my former honey and now King of the Jerks is making fun of my date's lack of storytelling ability and Paul doesn't even know it. I'd almost laugh if the urge to kick the former White Ranger where the sun don't shine wasn't so powerful. Still, he can't laugh at my date all that much. Diane's lazy eye and high pitched, bird-attracting laughter aren't exactly high points in her favor either. Then again, when you have boobs that could get a second job as flotation devices men didn't seem to care if you were any more intelligent than a brick. And I swear her nipples are pointing East and West. I guess you get what you pay for.

Another long work week's at an end and here I was looking forward to tonight. I bought this sexy new outfit for my date, found time to get my hair done, and even bought some new lingerie just in case my sex life revved up sometime soon. Of course that engine's been cold for well over a year now. But hope springs eternal and I was hoping that maybe this guy would get my motor running again.

Enter Paul Richards, age 28. I met him at the Bally's Health Club I attend. He's a trainer and would always come over when I arrived and work out with me. To say he was hot would be a understatement, so of course I enjoyed the attention. When he finally asked me out I figured drinks after my bands performance wouldn't hurt.

Unfortunately for me, on the outside Paul was Jude Law in all his smoky glory. But on the inside he was Larry the Cable Guy in all his hillbilliness. I only found out the latter tonight.

Uh oh, slow down boy. Paul just casually rested his open palm over my thigh and gave it a firm squeeze. Nope, sorry, you are not getting anywhere near laid tonight pal. At least not by me. I think you're a nice guy, but I was blinded by your hotness and now with you fully clothed and my focus on what you're saying and not the sweat glistening off your rock hard abs... I swear I am such a guy sometimes. But I cannot push aside needing a man to have intelligence, wit, charm, a hint of danger and a mind for romance simply because he makes my tummy flutter.

Lifting a curious brow I gently place his hand back between us while ignoring Diane's attempt to publicly gnaw Tommy's ear off. If I wasn't so cautious about dating new people I would never have asked to double up after my concert tonight. But this was his first date with the Human Flotation Device, so we thought it would be fun. He's walking in the same desert of dating desperation I am, so I wasn't the only one hopeful.

And if it didn't work I'd give him the sign and then we'd be out of here.

"Kim, I loved the song you sang tonight. It... it just moved me, you know," Diane complimented, her hand over her heart, which made me smile. She was pretty and exuded confidence easily. Boobs like that often make a girl walk up straighter. Later on in life though she'll struggle to walk at all. "I loved how it inspired me to want to be the best person that I can be and fight for womens rights."

My expression remains light to keep from laughing out loud. My song was about dancing with loved ones and how each of them mean something different to you. Heck, the title was called "Dancing with Loved Ones." Still, a compliment is a compliment and I'm not selling CD's at Target or Sams Club just yet. "Thanks, Diane."

The Mammary Queen barely spared me any notice, seemingly engrossed in whatever she was "gripping" under the table. Tommy's jaw tensed and he seemed to be unable to make eye contact with me at this point. I swear I'm gonna drop his toothbrush in the toilet... accidentally, of course. He's supposed to be mentally hating his date too, but oh no, a man could care less if a woman's head was as empty as something really empty just so long as she thought he was God's gift to womankind.

Men suck. Copyright Kimberly Ann Hart, 2008.

"Tommy, even though this is only our first date, I feel such a connection with you already," Diana noted, her high pitched voice somehow not shattering our glasses. Speaking of drinks, she's had sex to the rest of us on our second. Grinning wildly at my ex-leader/former snuggle-partner, she had the nerve to giggle, "I wanna have your baby."

Her slurred speech did the trick. Tommy smiled that awkward smile of his when he felt boxed in and I almost felt sorry for him. So what's a friend to do? I decide to help him out. "I bet those would be some handsome children." Yeah, I'm evil. Tommy's glare bores through me. Whatever. This is the most fun I've had all evening. Suck on that Boob-Lover! "Paul, wouldn't they have some gorgeous children?"

Paul gave Tommy and Diane the careful once over, nodding slowly. Damn, I gotta admit this man exudes hotness. He is so freaking pretty. Dim and dull as a stone tablet, but pretty as the day is old. "I bet our kids would be just as pretty," he said to my utter shock. Then his hand squeezed my thigh again. I smiled politely, removed his hand once more, and then finished off my drink before I choose an escape route and excuse myself to the bathroom and just keep going.

Tommy, still miffed at me over my little dig, pulls the trigger on an even bigger no-no. Leaning closer to Diana, he had the sheer nerve to ask her, "Are you having a good time, Beautiful?"

Two words for you.

Lorena

Bobbit

When Tommy goes to bed tonight I'm gonna sharpen my steak knife, cut his dick off in his sleep, and toss it a whole lot farther than the front lawn. While we have been broken up almost long enough ago to see the second Bush era come to a close, there are some things that are still special to me, and that little nickname is one of them. That belongs to me. I FAINTED FOR IT! Okay, not gonna shout to myself in my mind anymore. Anyway, Tommy did it on purpose and is now out of my Five, on my shit list, and might possibly have to find a new place to live.

Yeah, he still gets to me... sometimes. If I didn't love him so much I swear I'd hate him. Maybe. Probably. It depends on my mood. I need ice cream.

Our little group attempts conversation about the other bands that played tonight, critiquing them and discussing what we enjoyed. Just trying to find something to talk about. Sadly though, Diane and Paul just don't have the mental capacity to fill a Smurfs coffee mug. There's just no synergy or appeal outside the physical with them. Tommy looks as put off as I feel. And while I won't act like I've never hooked up with someone on looks alone before, I'd like to think I've grown out of that.

Okay, not enough to say no to this date obviously, but surely enough to say no to anymore. When its not working it's just not working.

At that very moment Paul bends to my ear and whisperers, "I want to give every square inch of your sexy body a tongue bath." Okay, first off you need a mint. Second, ewww. Third, I don't give up my home phone number on a first date, much less anything else. You're gonna be dating the five Palm sisters tonight. And judging by the size of your right hand in relation to your left I get the feeling you're well acquainted.

Finally accepting that this date was over, I gave Tommy the signal. I gently tug my left ear while looking away. He smiles, then kisses Diane across from me. You know what, bucco. You're not even my brother anymore. I'm so gonna kick your...

And then my cell phone receives a text message. It becomes clear from the message he pre-wrote that he used the kiss to send it without Diane noticing. Clever, Oliver. Real clever.

The message read "5 minutes." Good. It's time to call it a night. "Paul, excuse me for a moment. I have to make a quick phone call." I blaze from the table after pressing a goodnight kiss to his cheek, wait five minutes and then return with a story about my cousin's car breaking down and me needing to give her a ride home. That's going to be one heck of a long drive seeing as how Kelly lives in San Diego, but whatever. I make my apologies and he's cool.

I watched Tommy exit the table not long ago before I returned. Now he's whispering some sort of goodbye to Diane, and that he was going to call her a cab. Good boy. Now get me the hell out of here.

Oh, and Diane... he's not yours. Not now and not ever! I don't ponder that statement. It's just a fact.

Tommy and I exit out of separate doors, but I cast a last gaze over my shoulder and find Paul leaning dangerously close to Diane. Whatever he said made her giggle. Somehow I think the real love connection has been made. Go for it you two. I bet you'll have kids that'll make Bradgelina jealous.

Alls well that ends well. My performance was well received tonight and I will be ending the evening with a handsome guy on my arm. One that I'm definitely taking home. But first, we're gonna stop for some ice cream.

Ben and Jerry.

The only two men a girl can always count on to make her smile, never lie to her, never cheat on her, and won't ever disappoint her.

Yep, I am so in Armageddon date-mode.

* * *

**Times Square **

**Restaurants Row **

**West 46th Street between Broadway and 9th Avenue **

**Friday, January 21, 11:30 PM 2008 **

**New York City, New York**

"Kim, I said I was sorry, alright? The silent treatment isn't becoming."

With my hands warming in my black three-quarters length leather jacket, I kept walking just a bit ahead of Tommy, offering no absolution for his malicious crime. I purposely criss-crossed through the late night crowds, losing myself in the brisk night air. I can still feel his presence. He's close, just over my shoulder, shadowing me as if he has a right too. He's trying his best to gauge if I'm really mad or just annoyed. My Poker-face provides him no evidence either way, the jerk. Let my silence teach you a valuable lesson, Mr. Oliver.

Other women are not Beautiful!

However I mean that, of which I don't ponder to deeply, is law!

"Kim?" he called out again, half laughing as we carefully navigate the snow-shoveled sidewalk of Times Square amidst its dazzling lights and bustling energy. Restaurants Row was up ahead, calling out to me as clearly as my "brother" was. "Come on. The only reason I called Diane that was to mess with you. Mission accomplished, obviously."

I spin around to face him, nearly colliding with his chest as he was right on my heel. Sometimes I truly hate my lack of height and how much taller he is than me, standing there with his arms crossed. The cool mists of our breathing mingled like lovers between us. "Don't get cocky."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Are you sorry?"

His expression was flirtatious. "Maybe." I turn away from him before his hand reaches out for mine, stalling me. "Yes, I am sorry."

"Convince me." Swiping his tongue over his lips, Tommy gave a slow nod, backed away with a bow, and then disappeared into the crowd ahead. I waited patiently, thinking briefly of leaving him behind, but not liking the idea of that to much. Its late and his company wasn't unwelcome. Minutes later he returned carrying a large cup of Rocky Road ice cream with nuts sprinkled on top. He made a big deal of presenting it to me as if he were a humble servant. Good. Charming too. I still wanted to kick him though.

"Am I forgiven?"

I spoon a thick piece of the ice cream, humming from just how good it tastes. Okay, so he knows my favorite ice cream. I guess that's a point in his favor. But only one point. I dig in for more ice cream. "We'll see." Giving you a little smile doesn't mean you're forgiven. I just have to stop looking at you so that your sleepy brown eyes don't pull me in. I resist. No forgiveness for you just yet. "That was my nickname."

His laughter rings out in the night, giving me his undivided attention while I devoured my ice cream. "I know, I know," he conceded as we began walking again. "But you said Diane and I would have handsome children. That required retaliation."

"You're not supposed to point out my faults, only acknowledge your own."

"And that makes sense to you?"

"Shall I repeat myself?" He rolled his eyes, which amused me to no end. I really can't get too mad at him for messing with me when I do it to him all the time. With a gentle elbow nudge he tells me to go ahead and let him off the hook. Then he rushes off to a cart vendor by the street, buys something and then returns to my side.

He bought me a rose.

Okay, so that was sweet and despite how trivial our little spat was its nice to see a guy try and make up for things. Finishing off my ice cream, I dumped the cup in a nearby trash bin. I take the rose and then loop my arm around his. "That was inspired."

Tommy seemed pleased with my response. "I do my best."

Silence traveled with us, touring the city and its vast differences in comparison to California and Florida. Here it's almost midnight, cold enough for us to see our breath on the wind, and I was just eating ice cream. That's a world away from my sunny background. My how the times have changed. Northing's the way I thought it would be.

My ex-boyfriend slash current roommate never opened the martial arts school I always envisioned for him. Instead, he broke the mold by racing cars for a couple of years and then went college to study Paleontology of all subjects. Now he's teaching full-time at NYU, with his beloved martial arts relegated to his private practice.

Then again, he isn't the only one whose life turned out differently than expected. For the longest time most people who knew me thought that my love of gymnastics and twin Silver Medal winning performances at the Pan Globals would lead to a life dedicated to the sport. But after being a Ranger, nothing quite held my interest the way I thought it would. Like most of the Rangers, very few of us stuck with what we originally thought we'd be doing with our lives. My decision to go back to school for business finance had as much to do with a need to distance myself from gymnastics for a while as the challenge of stepping out of my natural element intrigued me.

The future pay kicked ass too. And not having to back flip and cartwheel for my paycheck in a skin tight outfit appealed to me greatly. Also, I was sick and tired of dodging fudge brownies like the plague.

I guess I needed the change. Just like in Angel Grove when I wanted to go after my dreams, I had to see if I could do it. That choice took me away from everything that was comfortable and familiar to me. And everyone that I loved, but I had to do it and while I regret some choices I made, I will never regret leaving for Florida.

Its funny how life brought Tommy, albeit in a very different place in my life now, back into it. God just wasn't done with us yet, I guess.

"You're quiet," Tommy noted warm against my ear, leading me through a small group of people.

"Just thinking over how I got here."

"Uhm, a cab brought us here." I'm about to swat him one when I catch sight of his teasing grin. Yeah, you got me.

"Its been a long road to get to where my life is right now," I hear myself say out loud, wondering where this moment of reflection is coming from. "I'm not where I thought I'd be, but I'm very happy where I ended up."

"That's all that matters," Tommy added, seemingly wistful himself now while staring at the stars. "I never saw college in my future, much less going after it so aggressively that I'm now teaching it." He shook his head and I'm suddenly taken back to yesteryear when I hung on his every word. "I never doubted that I could do well in college, but I was so caught up in needing that rush back. When my days as a Ranger ended racing gave me a jolt of that rush, but it was fleeting. And when you wake up one morning in your twenties with no real career that's a huge wakeup call."

"Yeah, but as soon as the chance to become a Ranger again came, you jumped at it."

"I had too."

"No, you wanted to," I politely correct him, to which he doesn't immediately refute. I know him... even after only three months of getting to know this new and improved Tommy Oliver, I know him. "There's a part of you that can't let go of that life and move on."

"Some of us can't just shut out where we came from and act like it never happened."

Spoken with a minor note of venom, I'm not entirely certain if he's only referring to the Ranger-life or something more personal. Something involving us. Old wounds, I'm afraid. "At least that part of your life is over with. Time for the boring thirties just around the corner." We share a laugh and a bit more if I'm honest. Sighing, he squeezed my arm as we let it go while checking out those giant electronic signs and billboards Times Square is so famous for. "So are you going out with Diane again?"

He actually bristled. "No, that ship has sailed and sank. It was definitely not the Love Boat," he confessed as I watched the way his mouth wrapped around the words. He has such a lovely mouth. "She's not a bad person, but she drinks a little to much for me and the chemistry just isn't there. I mean the attraction is, but not much more than that."

"I know the feeling. When I look at Paul my knees get weak. But when he talks I just can't wait until he shuts up."

Tommy laughs at that one. So do I. "Maybe it's time I just give up on dating." My glare hit him dead on, but he seemed unconcerned. Maybe even somber on some level. "I'm starting to believe the phrase that nice guys finish last."

"You're just waiting to meet the right person, same as me."

Tommy stops at the corner facing the MTV building. "Consider this. Despite my best efforts I have not only been dumped five times in a row, but lets analyze how each of them did it." Oh boy, here we go. I see him hold his hand up and begin counting down his greatest hits. And I wonder who'll be number one?

"Number one, you dumped me with a letter in the mail not even sent to my house."

Things I shall not ever live down? That's numero uno. "And I have apologized for that for years."

The second finger. "Kat dumped me over the phone."

"She was very hurt too. Remember that. And you're weren't ready to be engaged."

The third finger. "Gina dumped me by leaving a Post-It on the front windshield of my car."

Ouch. "You should sue her for unusual cruelty."

Fourth finger. "Melissa dumbed me with a fax. And she sent it twice just to make sure it went through."

"Make it a double lawsuit."

"Mali had her best friend tell me in person in the form of a poem."

I blinked hard. "... damn."

"Yeah," he couldn't help but to laugh with me, which was what I was hoping for. "Okay, I was just joking about that last one."

"Thank goodness," I smile, tugging him closer... for body warmth only!

"I'm just in a mood. Don't mind me."

I sought to reassure him. "Trust me, I understand. I haven't had much luck in the dating pool either. In fact, I've pretty much drowned in it. I'm at the bottom of the dating pool with the Titanic." He's laughing harder now, and somehow we're hugging. "We're rusting at the bottom of the sea."

"The sharks are circling."

"And there's no where to go but up." No matter the picture we might make to those who don't know us, being in his arms feels right in a way that eclipses what I felt for him as a teenager. Back then everything I felt for him was so intense and life altering. Nowadays, I'm truly blessed to have such a good friend who I know is in my corner no matter what. "You're wonderful."

"And you're Beautiful."

I hug him tight beneath the bright lights of the Big City, enjoying the newness of my life. New home, new job, new career, new challenges, and my new band.

But some things remain the same. Some people still touch you in a way you can't quite make sense of, but feels so good. I don't need Tommy to be in love with me anymore, but I do need him. My vulnerable, warm, and fearless best friend.

Mine!

Okay, no need to mentally shout at myself again.

Gently pulling from his embrace, we walk towards the corner, in sync that it's time to call it a night. When once hitting a club might of been fun, after working a forty plus hour work week on Friday night we just want to get some sleep. Jeez, when did real life creep in?

Tommy hails us a cab and when one stops we make our way towards it. "So Tommy, what did you think of my performance tonight?"

"Well, you're no Britney Spears, but you were alright."

When he climbs in the cab I kick him in the butt. The cab driver laughs. Tommy swears something at me that's none to polite. "Love you too, Handsome."

All in all its been a fun night.

* * *

**(Closing credits roll while voice over previewing the next episode begins)**

**"Next on 'The Glory Days'. Work and the single woman. How not to kill people during your eight hour shift. And who's visiting Tommy during one of his classes?"**

**Suggested listening music for Episode 1**

**1. Its My Life : Bon Jovi **

**2. At The Beginning : Richard Marx f. Donna Lewis **

**3. Lessons Learned √ Carrie Underwood **

**4. Home : Daughtry**


	2. Episode 2

**Title: "The Glory Days"  
Chapter 2?  
Written by: Shawn**

**Summary: The male population continues to annoy Kim at work. Tommy receives an unexpected visitor while teaching a class.**

**Category: Drama/Romance **

**Rating: M. Adult language, adult situations, and sexual encounters. Chapters containing sex scenes will be marked accordingly. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the PR universe. If I did I'd be living in a mansion.**

**Timeline: Everything up to the end of Dino Thunder is canon. Kim's background post "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" is all my creation. The story is set in January 2008.**

**Email: Notes: This is being written in Kim's P.O.V, so it is Kim-centric with a heavy emphasis on other characters and relationships as well.**

**Authors Notes 1. Sit back, relax, and pretend you're about to watch a new television show airing its series premier. Oh yeah, its on cable. It's featuring characters you grew up with and some new ones I hope you grow to love. None of them are perfect, so don't expect cookie cutter characters who always say, act, think, and react in a Brady Bunch sort of way. They're human and that's why we love them. Imperfect as the day is old.**

**Authors Notes 2: All details as to the how and why things are the way they are will be expiated in the story. Trust me, answers are coming.**

**Authors Notes 3: No chapter in this series will feature more than two scenes in order to make it easier to update more frequently. Also you might see other PR authors dip into this little universe from time to time writing their own chapters. I know certain things that will happen, how and when, but there is no definitive end to this series. Its ongoing until... well, until.**

**Authors Notes 4: TK fans... its gonna be a slow burn. But you know me 'wink'**

**Authors Notes 4: Expect in the near future for me to allow other PR authors a chance to write chapters in this ongoing stories universe. I have three lined up so far and there may be more, so we'll see. At some point I might start taking applications if anyone wanted to try their hand.**

* * *

**The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there Betty Grable**

**"When a man talks dirty to a woman, it's sexual harassment. When a woman talks dirty to a man, it's $3.95 a minute." Author Unknown**

**"Anybody who believes that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach flunked geography." Robert Byrne**

* * *

_Episode 2 "The Not-So-Simple Life"_

_An unseen announcer speaks over the end of the credits for the last program aired. "Up next, 'The Glory Days'._

_(Voice over begins with the show's theme song, Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" playing in the background)_

_"Once upon a time there was a little girl growing up in sunny California who wanted a typical life." footage of a little girl with curly brown hair chasing an older brother away running with her Barbie dolls and then kicking him hard in the balls when she caught him "She entertained dreams of being the worlds greatest gymnast." footage of the young girl, about ten years old now racing around her house in her leotard, and then doing jumps and flips under her father's instruction in the backyard of a nice house "She was blessed with the best friends ever." footage of the young girl, a boy with sandy blond hair, another with dark hair, another boy with warm brown eyes, and a girl with long dark hair - all smiling bright for the camera "Like I said, she wanted what she got, a typical life. That was until high school hit and with that monumental occasion came a brave new world. Her first gymnastics competition." footage of the now teenage girl preparing for a first meeting, looking nervous but determined "Her first true love." standing with her best friend, the girl catches sight of a boy preparing for a martial arts tournament that takes her breath away "And the absolute most shocking experience of her entire life." footage tinged in black and white with the words "top secret" scrolling across the bottom of the screen, a Pink Ranger battling alongside her teammates, flying Zords, fighting against and then with a Green Ranger, gazing at the White Ranger_

_"Then her typical life turned upside down when her parents divorced." shots of the girl seated on a couch being talked too by her parents about their breakup, then a tearful goodbye at an airport with her mother and another man "An opportunity of a lifetime that would separate her from from her friends and boyfriend." images of Coach Schmidt, the girl addressing her team, walking with Tommy along the shore, and giving her powers to Katherine "As one door closed, another opened to a new adventure that seemed to send her places she never expected to go." fast moving images of a girl getting off a plane in Florida, training hard, sitting in classes, talking on the phone to her boyfriend, preparing for the international competition and dealing with the press, meeting a new male friend, a deeply powerful kiss with the new guy under moonlight, writing a painful letter while crying her eyes out, more training, the Pan Global games, breaking up with the new guy, getting her first apartment, a tense meeting with her ex-boyfriend after an encounter with the Rangers, them finally making peace at a funeral for a dear friend, her finishing college with honors "With an amazing life already behind her,the next phase came in the form of a job opportunity in New York City, New York." shots of her leaving departing another plane, of gazing out of a taxi at the Big Apple, her face smiling brightly "As it often does when you least expect it, her life began to take turns she hadn't expected." meeting her new band mates who were fixing computers at her office, guys who worked for the Best Buy Geek Squad, them practicing, her getting on stage again for the first time in years. "And most crazy, or wonderful of all, a chance encounter, one in a million, with the man of her... with someone very special." shocked expressions on an older Tommy and Kim's face at a apartment showing, both worrying over not being able to pay the rent individually, an idea struck over coffee, arguing over moving in and who's stuff goes where, accidental moments in the shower, an almost kiss in the rain "She wanted a typical life and yet lived anything but. Angel Grove was chapter one." footage of Angel Grove High and the Command Center "Florida was chapter 2." "footage of Coach Schmidt's training compound, the girl's dorm room, and the beach "New York is the newest chapter." Daytime skyline flyover of New York followed by the grown woman walking the streets of NY, looking sharp, her shoulder length brown hair blowing in the wind, determined and focused on the life ahead of her on screen credits read 'Created and written by Shawn' "That young girl who wanted a typical life grew up to be me. My name is Kimberly Ann Hart and this is my story. The Glory Days of my life."_

* * *

**Washington Mutual **

**57 Bond St **

**Monday, January 31, 2008 8:50 AM **

**New York City, New York**

Okay, I must have of been taking a sick day when they handed out the human growth hormones.

As if standing in the seemingly slowest crowded elevator ever wasn't bad enough, I feel like the shortest person on Earth and that's in heels. The three bottle blonds in front tower over me and while at my age I shouldn't care, my inner pissed off teen still curses the height-challenged genetics I was stuck with.

Oh well, its a typical Monday morning I had to drag my butt outta bed to go to work. I swear all those TV shows showing women walking to work smiling and laughing like they're about to dance in a freaking musical can go take a hike. The older I get the longer I want to sleep late and the snooze button on my clock/radio is almost broken from being used so often. At least this elevator just reached my floor. The 'ding' gets me out of here at last.

Balancing my precious Starbucks purchase and briefcase, I navigate the busy morning crowd on my floor seeking the office of Commercial Real Estate Loans and Acquisition. I toss a couple of hello's and offer a wave or two, all the while dying to get a bite of the Apple Fritter in my briefcase. I am so damn hungry its making me angry.

And an angry Kim isn't something you want to deal with on a Monday morning.

As it is every work day I'm forced to travel past the records office where Old Man Winston a.k.a Winston Hynes works. He's your typical lech. I can't ignore him so I try being nice. "Good morning Mr. Hynes."

"Good morning, Ms. Hart." He gave a polite a nod that did nothing to hide his weirdo fixation with my legs nor the horrible comb over of his eighty-nine percent bald head. That remaining eleven percent is all the hair he has left. Ugh, you are just so creepy and strange. If gossip is believed he's sixty-five years old and has never been married. He's probably been dating his hand since the Nixon administration.

A woman knows when she is being stared at and learns to ignore it, especially in the work place. My mother gave me the heads up a long time ago, and right or wrong, you gotta thicken your skin and keep moving forward. Speaking of Mom, I gotta tell her I'm sharing my apartment with Tommy. I've been ducking that little nugget of news for months now and if she ever just stops by one day unannounced...

Note to self, tell Mom everything tomorrow. And search mall for taller heels.

Upon reaching my office at the end of the hall, Ari catches sight of me while on the phone and points to a box of donuts by the copy machine. I'm way ahead of you, girlfriend. I tap my briefcase and she smiles. My best friend these days keeps right on talking, ever the early bird. We share this office, which is connected to two others our superiors work in. It's our own personal little den of business and gossip. Business pays the bills while gossiping gets us through the long days.

I punch in, turn on my computer, and get set up for the day. Mmmm, my Playgirl wallpaper makes a striking impression. I love you too Mr. March. Aside from that my Starbucks coffee and apple fritter pastry go a long way in getting me ready for a hectic day. As part of the four-person team who is helping Fusion Construction purchase land in Buffalo, New York for a major project, I'm going to be logging massive amounts of time in front of this comp preparing financial and city data before Thursday's presentation. Blah, blah, blah I can do this with my eyes closed, but when you're new to a company you start at the bottom. Here, even the bottom pays well so you'll here no complaints from me.

I hear footsteps approaching, noting the click of heels on the floor. Ari pulls up a chair next to my desk, coffee and donut in hand. That eye shadow she's wearing looks great with her caramel complexion. And she's tall, the bitc... I mean wonderful friend. "I had another run in with Old Man Winston."

Ari laughs around her coffee, legs crossed. "So did I. He was staring at my chest like he'd found King Solomons Mine." Sparing a glance at her amazing natural pair of boobs, she added, "Not that they aren't great, but his overall creepiness irks me."

"Me too. He was all but licking his chops when I walked by."

"I bet that man has gigs and gigs of porn on his computer. In the dictionary by the definition of pathetic I'm sure there is a picture of him."

Breaking off a piece of my apple fritter, I pop it in my mouth, savoring the taste. "Enough about the creepy one. How was your weekend?" Ari shrugged in a somber way I knew how to read. This wasn't what I was hoping for. "John didn't show up, did he?"

"Nope, and he didn't even have the decency to call." John was Jason's father, Ari's little six year old son. John was a piece of crap as a father. No, scratch that. Calling him a piece of crap actually disrespected pieces of crap. John was toilet scum. "My Jason cried all day long Saturday. But my brother came and got him later on and took him to the movies. I think he needed a guy's night and he got it. But his father flaked on us. You should have heard the way I railed on his answering machine. I'm surprised it didn't catch on fire."

"He still deserved worse," I offered in support. Jason was a dear and only wanted what all boys his age wanted. A father. As bad as splits are, and I know from personal experience how they suck, at least when both parents are quality parents it doesn't hurt so bad. Thank goodness for my dad, imperfect a husband as he was. "How are you doing?"

I could tell Ariana was ready to change the subject by the way she was picking at the hem of her blouse. "Outside of wanting to kill John, I'm fine." She then added, "I went to a jazz club with Darrel last night."

Darrel, age 31, single and good looking journalist for the New York Post she met two weeks ago at a dinner party. A nice prospect indeed. "So how did that go?" I asked.

"Not bad, but not great either. I just didn't feel any sparks. He's a gentleman for sure, but we were both searching for things to say a hour into the date and that's a sign it's just not gonna work." Sipping her coffee, I saw the next question on her face before she even said it. It was one she's been pestering me about ever since Tommy picked me up from work one day when my car was in the shop. "So when are you going to introduce me to that totally hot, non-gay roommate of yours?"

I sigh yet again, shaking my head. "I will introduce you someday, just relax."

"You're just saving him for yourself, that's all."

Nope. Been there, done that, and got the 'I Dated Tommy Oliver In High School' t-shirt. "Tommy is free to date anyone he wants."

"Provided you approve?"

"Of course." Dammit, that wasn't supposed to come out. And where did it come from? And why is Ari laughing at me. "You know what I mean. I want him to find someone as special as he is. Tommy's a great guy."

"No, he's your guy. That's why you won't hook him up with me or any of the other girls that saw him and pester you. You're hogging the hotness."

"I am not hogging the hotness. I'm just looking out for him, is all." I give Ari the evil-eye to let her know to quit it. Tommy's been our pet joke for weeks now. Explaining my relationship with my former Angel Grove honey isn't easy, but it isn't romantic either. Affectionate and intimate and friendly and trusting, but definitely not romantic. And yes, that makes perfectly good sense to me.

Ari and I gloss over the rest of our weekends, with her yet again teasing me over the fact that all three members of my band work for the Best Buy Geek Squad. They stopped by the office one day to fix our network connection, heard me humming a tune, explained they were starting a band and looking for a female lead and the rest was history. I don't mind that they're nerds. Billy was a nerd once and now he makes more money all the Rangers combined at NASA.

Nerds have potential. And those guys fixed my laptop for free. A girl can't beat that these days.

Work beckons and our day begins, with me typing the computer for all its worth. I have so many figures in my head and so much information its mind-boggling, but pretty damn cool that I understand it all. I've surprised myself not only with my career, but that I've mastered something so far from what I expected to be doing with my life.

Go me!

Yes, I cheer myself in my head. You should try it sometimes. It'll keep you from killing co-workers who annoy you. Cheering yourself on helps when there's no one around to do it for you. Go Kim Go! No, I am not crazy. I've just been staring at this freaking computer for well over three and a half hours no and I'm a bit spacey.

Checking my email brings about the usual suspects. Spam, spam, more spam, funny things from Sha and Trini, a reminder from my Dad his birthday is next month, and something from Tommy. I open my ex's first just because.

_(( Good Morning Shortness_

_Just wanted to shoot you a line about how good the dinner was you cooked last night and that you looked hot in that short skirt you wore to work today. Not that I was staring, mind you. wink_

_Anyway, have a great day. What do you want me to bring home for dinner tonight?  
Your ex-boyfriend))_

He knows calling me Shortness is going to get him killed one day, but I think he likes tempting death. Ever the thrill seeker, Mr. Oliver. Still, it's a bit nice to know he was looking at me like a woman this morning. I don't process it to deeply, but it beats the heck out of Old Man Winston's creepy attention. I decide to write him back.

_(( Dear Dr. Forgetful_

_A good morning to you too and thanks for the compliments over dinner. On the off chance I cook again someday I may allow you to enjoy the fruits of my labor. As for my legs, don't be staring to hard. I'm not yours anymore wink_

_I'm in a KFC sort of mood. Bring chicken. Have a good day, Tommy. Try not to break any more of your female students hearts._

_Sincerely, Ms. YouWishYouHadOneTime wink))_

He'll get a kick out of that. And later on tonight for calling me Shortness he'll get a real kick.

Back to work, I'm preparing the documents I'm responsible for. The copy machine's printing beside me, so I'm almost done with this section of the proposal. Lunch is right around the corner and while I should be the good little girl and get the garden salad with the light dressing I need a cheeseburger. I just need a damn cheeseburger. If it goes to my hips so be it.

I'm getting a cheeseburger.

My phone rings, breaking my near hypnotized state of typing. I answer, "Washington Mutual. This is Kim. How can I assist you?" I hear an airy sort of noise on the other end, as if I'm on a speaker phone. Sounds like the inside of a car too.

"Uhm, Kim." The whiny voice of Everette, my lovable drummer. "The guys and I are on our way to a repair job, but we wanted to discuss with you something we feel very strongly about."

I can hear Miles and Henley egging Everette on. Now what is this about? "Okay, talk?"

"Kim, we want to change the name of our band from 'The Craniacs' to something we can all agree upon. As you may recall, you came up with the Craniacs all by yourself."

"We've been playing shows under that name for months now. It's a little late to change it."

"Well, we feel its not manly enough."

Manly enough? You? The guy with the largest collection of Transformers toys on Earth. "But I'm your lead singer and not a man."

"I see..." The guys are trying to get him to get tough with me. While they are all three sweethearts, tough wouldn't describe any of them. Not unless you considered the Care Bears tough. "We feel that a new name like 'IronForceX' or perhaps 'Tidal Wave' would be superior to 'The Craniacs' Plus, you never even told us what a craniac is?"

I can't tell them that I used to pilot the Crane Zord as a Power Ranger and must be crazy to be playing with these guys, so I offer a simple, "No."

"But..."

"No."

"Kim, if you would just...

"No." I hear them whine and decide to take them all out for ice cream sometime later this week. But they need my leadership and understanding of what cool is and what cool is not. Plus we have a small following as 'The Craniacs' and need to build on that rather than change names all of a sudden. "Guys, drive safe and relax. I'll talk to you all later. Mama Bear loves you."

"WE LOVE YOU TOO."

They're so cute. Nicknaming me Mama Bear always made me smile. I end the call and note that lunch time has arrived. I'm gonna go steal Ari and I our usual seat in the cafeteria while she finishes her phone call.

On my way towards the elevator I'm stopped dead in my tracks by a gorgeous hunk of man who introduces himself as Will.

Tall

Dark

Handsome

Wearing a suit hugging his big shoulders so well I just want to kiss my thanks to his tailor. He apologizes for almost running into me and through some light banter thats quite witty and enjoyable, I'm already crushing on this guy. I could swim in those baby-blues. And that little dimple is just so cute. His smile's making my knees weak and he smells great.

We chat for a few minutes and I find out he works in accounting on the ninth floor and has a noon meeting on my floor. He's a die hard Yankees fan and loves Italian food.

Good lord is he good looking.

It's at the very moment he asks for my phone number that I notice his wedding band. I blink... hard! When I mention it I'm hopeful he'll tell me he's recently divorced and maybe forgot to take it off.

Instead he says it doesn't matter and that he's looking for love. He says his marriage is complicated.

Complicated my ass!

Yeah, well, he's looking for love in the wrong place here. I tell him that and a few other choice things as there's nothing worse than a cheater. I'm not being hypocritical as I did it to Tommy and was as bad as Will, but still. I don't do that any more. I haven't cheated on anyone else period. I'm sure his wife wouldn't want to know her husband was trying to pick up girls at work.

I send him on his way with my middle finger.

Men suck.

I already own the trademark.

Oh well, that cheeseburger's calling me.

* * *

**NYU - New York University **

**Department of Anthropology **

**Room 332 **

**Located at Washington Square Park on the island and borough of Manhattan in the neighborhood called Greenwich Village **

**Tuesday, February, 2008 3:30 PM **

**New York City, New York**

Perhaps invoking the last faint traces of my stealthy Pink Ninja Ranger Powers, I calmly snuck into the back of Tommy's classroom from the upper level. The door barely made a soft click when it closed shut, and with the auditorium-like size of the classroom no one seemed to notice.

Mission accomplished. Tommy's bold voice boomed throughout as authoritative as his days as the Ranger's leader. Its enthralling in a strange way, seeing him command this classroom as he once did our team. And while most of his lesson is flying way over my head, his students look captivated by the passion their teacher injects into paleontology.

Tommy just keeps unfolding like a flower.

Having promised to visit his classroom numerous times, I never promised I would tell him beforehand. I wanted to catch him off guard and watch him in this world so unlike where I thought he'd be. Resting my laptop on the desk at the end of the last row, the class of forty-plus students more than masked my presence. Anton Mercer's contacts really came through for Tommy. Not one of his students look even ten years younger than him.

I duck my head slightly behind my laptop as if I'm taking notes when Tommy's gaze swept over my side of the room. He's teaching something about micro-organisms that sounds so boring in reality, but from his lips is so very interesting due to the drive he has for the subject. Where oh where did my forgetful White Knight in spandex go, I smile to myself? Where's my karate addict who's bare chested workouts each day at the Youth Center fueled all of my teenage fantasies? Who is this handsome man in glasses and spiky hair that intrigues me so much?

Back in high school I used to sit behind him in social studies and just stare at the back of his head like the love sick teenager that I was. I used to dream about brushing his hair, and yes, I had it that bad. There were enough 'Kimberly Oliver' signatures in my diary to convict me of stalking. And here we are a decade and change later, he's teaching a subject he has a masters degree in while I'm working in high stakes finance.

And we're not in love.

I mean yes, we love each other. Deeply in our own way. But high school was high school and my wardrobe back then was eighty percent pink in some form or another. He wore a ponytail like some teenage Steven Seagal. Not fat, out of shape Steven Seagal of today who makes terrible made-for-DVD films. I'm referring to ultra cool, ass-kicking Steven Seagal of the early nineties.

God I'm old. I remember Steven Seagal when he was a somebody.

Nonetheless, Tommy and I were sincerely in love back then. In a sickingly sweet, hand holding, taking picnics, hugging a lot sort of way. I was over the moon happy back then. Fast forward to the here and now we're just good friends who flirt to offset the severe lack of romance in our lives. That's cool though. It's working so far.

So here I am watching Tommy teach his class when all of a sudden he makes direct eye contact with me, capturing my full attention. His train of thought breaks for a quiet second, and then he smiled before continuing his lesson. Sparks... that's just how it is with us. I swear that man's smile still gives me a few flutters. We're intricately connected that way, even now. He found me without looking at all, just like he did when we were young and he wore some of the worst shirts I ever saw on a boy. Thank God what he looked like underneath it made up for his extreme lack of fashion sense.

Oh who am I critiquing. When I was sixteen I would have done his laundry for him I was so in love. I would have ate my dinner off his chest. And to think most of the time he wasn't even sure if I liked him at all. I was so immature. Life eventually as it does for everyone taught me a number of good and bad lessons, but my first love was still my best. I may not want that anymore, but it's fondly remembered.

"The test will have a thirty minute time limit. You may begin," Tommy told his class before taking his chair behind the oak desk at the front of the room. He doesn't look my way, but five minutes later an AIM chat window pops up on my laptop. Wi-Fi is my friend.

_LeaderOne: "I am bored out of my mind so tell me your deepest, darkest secret?"_

I'm typing before I even think about it.

_Pink4Life: "I want you."_ I can't read his expression behind his monitor, but he responds pretty quickly.

_LeaderOne: "I said a secret, Kim. wink"_

The jerk, I can't help but to nibble my lip. And here I was hoping to ruffles his feathers a little.

_Pink4Life: "Are you sure you could handle my deepest, darkest secret?"_ tick, tick, tick...

_LeaderOne: "I can handle anything you dish out."_

Okay, let's see if you can handle this truth, tough guy.

_Pink4Life: "I slept with Rocky."_

_LeaderOne: "Yeah, right."_

_Pink4Life: "I'm dead serious."_ I actually am. And if I'm not mistaken Tommy is choking on that nugget of information. I can only imagine what's running through his mind right now.

_LeaderOne: "Stop lying, Kim."_

_Pink4Life: "Oh, so now I'm not Beautiful anymore? wink"_

_LeaderOne: "Kim, please."_

_Pink4Life: "I told you the truth."_ It's a good ten minutes before he replies, and all the while I'm almost giggling to myself at his reaction. Yeah, we're not in love with each other, but there's a note of possessiveness we still carry. It's unspoken, but its there.

_LeaderOne: "When, where, and why?"_

I have to steal my eyes away from one of his female students horrible looking blouse to reply.

_Pink4Life: "Uh, uh. It's your turn. What's your deepest, darkest secret?"_ I wait, and wait, and wait expecting him to keep pushing for answers about Rocky and I.

_LeaderOne: "... I like to wear your clothes around the house when you're not home. You have the softest cashmere sweaters."_

I swear I laughed out loud so hard I just embarrassed myself, causing more than a few students to look at me like I just grew a second head. He's grinning at me now, all traces of seriousness gone from our relationship. That's just how we are. When his students start setting their completed tests on his desk I close my AIM window and let him get back to his teacher duties. That's when I casually, and totally not eavesdropping hear two girls in front of me whispering to each other. I am so not eavesdropping. Yeah, I like to reassure myself to me.

No, that's not crazy. Not at all!

"I swear to God I would do Dr. Hottie until his little glasses fogged up," came from the mildly cute blond with the short hair, popping bubble gum. I can tell you're one of those girls who watch those Lifetime Channel movies where the naughty cheerleader/college student seduces the super gorgeous married male teacher and then kills his wife. How do I know these things? I used to watch those same movies.

"That man just oozes sex appeal," came from the brunette with the ugly nail polish and too many ear rings. And my God those shoes were fugly. "How can one man be so brilliant and so delicious?" Ha, that man forgot his middle name once. And he can never be trusted to bring milk home no matter how many different ways I remind him through the course of a day. Also, I know for a fact one of the socks he's wearing right now has a hole in it. "He's got to be married."

No, but he's unmarried to me. That's a valid relationship, dammit! Trini told me so!

With Tommy's class ending it seemed this duo of potential stalkers don't intend to leave until their teacher does, no doubt hoping to catch his eye somehow. Time to dig into my bag of tricks so save my best friend. Evil Kim peeks out of my subconscious as I follow them down the stairs toward the front of the room. Wearing smiles that offer an affair all Lifetime Movie-like, they're slow to exit from in front of the desk, but I'll fix that.

Tommy's brown eyes pursued my every step around his desk until I seductively slid over his lap, snaking my arm around his neck. Our eyes locked as we're about to crack up laughing, and no doubt the gossip about Dr.O is gonna increase tenfold. The girls leave disappointed, sparing a couple of glances back at us. My ex-boyfriend is trying so hard not to lose it in front of everyone. I must admit I like the protective feel of his arm around my waist.

Amidst some laughter and even clapping by a couple of the male students, the classroom empties.

Leaning over the shell of his ear, I whisper, "So tell me, Dr. O? Is that a marker in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Tuning his head leaves our lips a fraction of an inch apart. "That's actually a marker, Kim."

Dammit. "Oh," I snorted upon getting off his lap, mildly embarrassed when he produces the marker. I take a perch on the end of his desk, facing him. When he ahem, adjusts himself I realize he just lied to me. I don't call him on it. That's my own personal victory. Yeah, he's still my bitch. "I just saved you from a Lifetime Movie Channel docudrama. Those two girls wanted much more than a good education from you. I didn't want to be driving my car one day and realize the breaks are out due to them tampering with it."

Looking to be in a better mood, Tommy sank back in a relaxed pose. "They have been dressing a bit provocative to class lately and keep bending over in front of me. I was almost about to talk to them both after class one day, but I think you solved that little problem already."

"Yeah, I'm always looking out for you."

He tucked three folders inside his briefcase. "So how did you skip out of work early?"

"I had a meeting downtown that I wasn't sure I would be able to get back to the office due to the traffic, officially," I amend at the end. "Unofficially, the meeting lasted all of twenty minutes and I made a straight shot here to save you from horny college girls."

"I never thought my ex-girlfriend from high school would save me from horny college girls. Then again, I never knew the day would come where I would want to be saved from horny college girls."

Such a typical man. My legs crossed and I felt the heat of his gaze over fall over them, ushering in our usual flirtatious mood. "I was very impressed with your teaching today. You're really good."

"It's a living and I enjoy it." Peering around his classroom, added, "This is a world away from a high school in Reefside."

"You've earned it."

He dodges my compliment all together. "So tell me the truth?"

I knew it wouldn't last. And to be perfectly honest I'm just a bit pissed at him for the mild attitude lacing his voice. "The truth about what?"

"You and Rocky?"

Rocky's name was said with no small amount of jaw tightening. "What's to tell?" Tommy's good and annoyed with me now now. "I slept with him, alright."

"When, where, and why?"

"Excuse me? This isn't an interrogation. I don't owe you any answers," I hear myself vent. "Especially considering how many times you rode the good ship Katherine." He's just tapping a pen against his desk while I'm steaming all of a sudden.

"I just never expected... you know. You and Rocky?"

He's stewing in jealousy never mind the years we've been apart. Can't say I'm unfamiliar with the emotion. His relationship with Kat, while respected, is still a sore spot for me to think about. And I never tell anyone about that. "Look, we had to share a hotel room once when we were visiting Aisha due to a crazy storm. All we did was sleep." His eyes expressed relief. Good for you, but I know you and Kat... Oh shut up, Kim. Years ago and water under the bridge. "Rocky is like a brother to me, so I couldn't ever go there with him."

"Just like me?"

Bastard. Rat bastard! How dare he? And stop smirking. It makes you look sexy. "Are you ready to go home or what?" He's amused I've changed the subject. He deserves another kick in the behind.

I wait patiently while he stacks the tests he needs to grade tonight in his briefcase, and then shuts down his computer. I notice out of the corner of my eye his desk and the four picture frames on it. There's one of his parents, one of David, one of the entire gang taken last summer in Cancun, and one of me from a year ago. Unable to help myself I make that little girly noise that we girls make when something touches us.

Tommy noticed. "That picture reminds me to never fall for a short girl again?"

"You really want to die, don't you?" Grinning, I shove my laptop in top of his briefcase. Let him carry my stuff for that dig. He's still staring at me when I slide off his desk. "Let's go home, brother."

"Okay, sister."

We're ascending the stairs in a pretty good mood, ready to call it a day. And then he says...

"I wouldn't sleep with you anyway."

"Liar." He doesn't respond because he doesn't have too. Attraction has never been an issue with us. And if we went there it would probably be so damn go... moving right along.

"So can I come by your office tomorrow and sit on your lap?"

I stopped dead in my track and turned to face him. "Do you love me?"

He moved a bit closer. Too close. "Endlessly."

"Then shut the hell up." He rolled his eyes and walked off, leaving me behind laughing. I get a good look at his butt and I gotta tell you that's some great booty. I even whistled.

"Stop looking at my ass."

"I told you to shut it." And I'm gonna keep looking at his ass. We are unmarried after all. That's my right, dammit!

* * *

**(Closing credits roll while voice over previewing the next episode begins)**

**'Next on The Glory Days.' "Kim accompanies Tommy back to California when news of a horrible accident places a loved in mortal danger. And just how close is to close when you're trying to comfort someone?"**

**Suggested listening music for Episode 1**

**1. Its My Life - Bon Jovi **

**2. Days Go By - Keith Urban **

**3. From Loving You - Mandy Moore **

**4. Back at your Door - Maroon 5 **

**6. Like a Boy - Ciara**


	3. Episode 3

**Title: "The Glory Days"  
Chapter 3?  
Written by: Shawn**

**Summary: Kim accompanies Tommy back to California when news of a horrible accident places a loved in mortal danger. And just how close is to close when you're trying to comfort someone?"**

**Category: Drama/Romance Rating: M. Adult language, adult situations, and sexual encounters. Chapters containing sex scenes will be marked accordingly. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the PR universe. If I did I'd be living in a mansion.**

**Timeline: Everything up to the end of Dino Thunder is canon. Kim's background post-"Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" is all my creation. This story is set in January 2008.**

**Notes: This is being written in Kim's POV, thus it is Kim-centric with a heavy emphasis on other characters and relationships as well.**

**Authors Notes 1. Sit back, relax, and pretend you're about to watch a new television show airing its series premier. Oh yeah, its on cable. It's featuring characters you grew up with and some new ones I hope you grow to love. None of them are perfect, so don't expect cookie-cutter characters who always say, act, think, and react in a Brady Bunch sort of way. They're human and that's why we love them.**

**Authors Notes 2: All details as to the how and why things are the way they are will be expiated in the story. Trust me, answers are coming.**

**Authors Notes 3: No chapter in this series will feature more than two scenes in order to make it easier to update more frequently. Also you might see other PR authors dip into this little universe from time to time writing their own chapters. I know how and when certain things will happen, but there is no definitive end to this series. It's ongoing until... well, until.**

**Authors Notes 4: TK fans... its gonna be a slow burn. But you know me 'wink'**

**Authors Notes 5: Expect in the near future for me to allow other PR authors a chance to write chapters in this ongoing universe. I have three lined up so far and there may be more, so we'll see. At some point I might start taking applications if anyone wants to try their hand.**

**Authors Notes 6: Most chapters in this series will contain only 2 scenes, but this one requires three. Other's may as well.**

**Beta Read by: The most amazing, beautiful, captivating, woman in the world. My fiancee, Gina.**

* * *

**"We all want to fall in love. Why? Because that experience makes us feel completely alive. Where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, our everyday reality is shattered, and we are flying into the heavens. It may only last a moment, and hour, an afternoon. But that doesn't diminish its value. Because we are left with memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives." - Unknown**

**"For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are those 'It might have been"  
- John Greenleaf Whittier**

**"Love is friendship, friendship is love. If love fails, friendship should remain. For friendship is the foundation of love" - Unknown**

* * *

**Episode 3 "Whispers in the Dark"**

**An unseen announcer speaks over the end of the credits for the previous program. "Up next, 'The Glory Days'.■**

**(Voice over begins with the show's theme song, Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" playing in the background.)**

**"Once upon a time there was a little girl growing up in sunny California who wanted a typical life." (Footage of a little girl with curly brown hair chasing an older brother who's stealing her Barbie dolls, then kicking him hard in the balls when she catches him.) "She entertained dreams of being the worlds greatest gymnast." (Footage of the young girl, about ten years old now, racing doing jumps and flips under her father's instruction in the backyard of a nice house.) "She was blessed with the best friends a girl could ever want." (Footage of the young girl, a boy with sandy blond hair, two others with dark hair, and a pretty Asian girl-all smiling bright for the camera.) "Like I said, she wanted what she got, a typical life. That was until high school and the monumental occasion that opened a brave new world: her first gymnastics competition." (Footage of the teenage girl preparing for her first meet, looking nervous but determined..) "Her first true love." (Standing with her best friend, the girl catches sight of a handsome boy practicing during a martial arts tournament. He takes her breath away.) "And the absolute most shocking experience of her young life." (Black and white footage with the words "TOP SECRET" scrolling across the bottom of the screen...a Pink Ranger battling alongside her teammates...flying Zords...fighting against and then along side a Green Ranger...gazing lovingly at the white-clad martial artist.)**

**"Then her typical life turned upside down when her parents divorced." (Shots of the girl seated on a couch during a heart-wrenching talk with her parents, then a tearful goodbye at an airport with her mother and another man.) "An opportunity of a lifetime that would separate her from her friends and her boyfriend." (Images of Coach Schmidt, the girl addressing her fellow Rangers, walking with Tommy along the shore, then transferring her powers to a tall blond girl.) "As one door closed, another opened to a new adventure that sent her places she never expected to go." (Fast-moving images of a girl getting off a plane in Florida...training hard...sitting in classes...talking on the phone to her boyfriend...preparing for the international gymnastics competition...meeting with the press...an introduction to a new male friend...a deeply powerful kiss with the new guy under moonlight...sobbing while writing a letter...more training...the Pan Global games...breaking up with the new guy...getting her first apartment...a tense meeting with her ex-boyfriend after a trip back home...the two of them finally making peace at a funeral for a dear friend...finishing college with honors.) "The next phase in her already amazing life came in the form of a great job opportunity in New York, NY." (Shots of her stepping off another plane, of gazing out the window of a taxi at the Big Apple while smiling brightly.) "As it often does when you least expect it, her life began to take many new twists and turns." (Meeting some guys at the office...them practicing together in a band...performing on stage again for the first time in years.) "And most astonishing of all, a one-in-a-million chance encounter with the man of her... with someone very special." (Shocked expressions on an older Tommy and Kim's face at a apartment showing, both worrying over not being able to pay the rent individually, an idea struck up over coffee, arguing over moving in and who's stuff goes where, accidental awkward moments in the bathroom, an almost-kiss in the rain.) "She wanted a typical life and yet lived anything but. Angel Grove was chapter one." (Footage of Angel Grove High and the Power Rangers Command Center.) "Florida was chapter 2." (Footage of Coach Schmidt's training compound, the girl's dorm room, and the beach.) "New York is the latest chapter." (Daytime skyline flyover of the big city followed by the grown woman walking the streets of NY, looking sharp, her shoulder length brown hair blowing in the wind, determined and focused on the life ahead of her.) (On-screen credits read 'Created and written by Shawn'.) "That young girl who wanted a typical life grew up to be me. My name is Kimberly Ann Hart and this is my story. The Glory Days of my life."**

* * *

**Kim's pearl white 2008 Dodge Charger **

**On her way home from work **

**Thursday, February 28, 2008 5:35 PM **

**New York, NY**

"Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars... And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars... The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap... We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat... And we'll hang out in the coolest bars... In the VIP with the movie stars... Every good gold digger's... Gonna wind up there... Every Playboy bunny... With her bleach blond hair... Hey, hey I wanna be a rockstar... Hey, hey I wanna be a rockstar." Damn, I sound good in my new car.

Hitting yet another green light, my great day continues. I'm blasting Nickleback's "Rockstar" with my foot on the gas, speed limit be damned. Three whole weeks of long days and late nights at the office pouring over proposal after proposal resulted in three straight rejections of my team's finance plans for this bullshit apartment complex in Buffalo. Thankfully, our latest loan proposal was accepted today and we all celebrated by not doing one damn thing all afternoon.

Sometimes my life is pretty kick-ass.

And that fat bonus check I have coming doesn't hurt either.

So my music's blasting loud, I'm singing along, and the green lights seem to all wait for me today. And to top it off, I met a guy. A real guy...not that I routinely just imagine guys. I don't. It's just that I haven't had much luck with them in like..forever! I am the goddess when it comes to having guy friends. I have so many it doesn't make sense. Sometimes I think I have too many. But relationship-wise the guy-fountain has been bone dry for so long my social life resembles the Sahara Desert.

I was in severe Armageddon Date-Mode.

Enter Jack Carlson.

Mmmm, Jack.

The twenty-eight year old attorney with whom I've worked oh-so-closely with for the last couple of weeks on this project, who always brings me coffee the way that I like it, and who understands that opening doors for women is a very big plus. My love for pretty boys lives on with him and his mesmerizing green eyes that I'd just love to gaze into all day. His curly dark hair is calling out for me to twirl around my fingers, and he's also just such a sweet guy. We've had drinks twice already after work and his conversation skills are out of sight. Biggest shock of all, tomorrow night he's making me dinner at his place!

Yes, a man is about to cook dinner for me, something that hasn't happened since my father microwaved me a TV dinner when I was fifteen. Sad, but true.

Like I said, I've been in severe Armageddon Date-Mode...possibly for years.

Okay, let's recap.

Handsome, never-been-married nice guy with a great career, doesn't live with his mom, have any kids or addictions, thinks I am enchanting (his words, mind you), and is cooking me dinner tomorrow night at his place. He has stated boldly that his goal is to romance me.

I might have to jump on that.

Literally!

I'm jamming to my tunes and seriously considering getting laid tomorrow night. Considering how long its been since I had sex, I just hope I remember what it was I was good at and how to do it. If the chemistry is right and the dinner is good I might take him for a ride on Space Mountain.

Uh huh, you heard me. I call it Space Mountain. Hey! Zack says guys name their dicks all the time.

We'll see what happens. Tommy-the-jerk sure as hell didn't mind getting some a week ago. I know I shouldn't call him a jerk for doing what any single guy would do, but still. He did it and now I might do it, too, but not because he did it, but because I haven't done it in a long time and I miss it. But definitely NOT just because he did it.

That makes perfectly good sense to me.

The beeping in my bluetooth ear piece lets me know a call's coming. I tap the little button and say, "Whoever you are, you had better not be calling me with bad news. I'm having too great a day and nothing's going to get me down."

"Kim, you sound kinda high."

Rocky. Good ole' Rocky. "I'm high off life, mister. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing. I'm just killing time until Aisha's plane lands. I tried Jason, Adam, and Trini before you. None of them picked up, so you're the lucky winner of the DeSantos sweepstakes."

"Yay me...Hey! Why was I your fourth choice? Shouldn't I have been first? I actually slept with you."

"If you consider your leg brushing against my foot under the covers one time sleeping with a guy, then I think we need to have the birds and the bees talk, Ms. Hart."

Typical silly, sweet Rocky. Who I'm sure is nervous as hell right now. "Every thing's going to be fine, Rocky." I hear him sigh as he realizes I see straight through him and this call. I wouldn't be a good friend if I pretended otherwise. "A little space is necessary sometimes. But ▒Sha misses you and now you guys can work things out in person and get back to what counts as normal for you two."

"Arguing and lots of make-up sex?"

"Yep, and the fact that you two love each other. You just took forever to get together, but whatever floats your boat."

"Thanks, Kim." He exhales in relief and I hope I somehow made him feel better. He knows I've spoken to Aisha so if I'm being positive he probably figures things are going to go well with her. His relationship with her is barely a year old. They hit a snag like people do, she took some time away, and now they're ready to patch things up. He loves her, but contrary to most women's beliefs, men can have bouts of insecurity too. Not like us women, but they do feel it. "I just miss her is all. Once you go black you never go back, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah."

I can't help but to laugh at that. "I know, I know. Just relax."

"So how have you been lately? Had any bouts of road rage? Any lesbian experiences you videotaped and want to show me just to make sure you did it right? Bone Tommy yet?"

The male mind is just stuck on horny. "I have engaged in no such Tommy-boning, nor is any planned. Thank you very much," I explained politely. "I'm doing good, Rocky. No complaints on my end. I just pulled up in my parking garage and I'm exhausted. How about we catch up this weekend, k?"

"Sounds good to me, Kim. Take care and thanks again. I love ya."

"Anytime, and I adore you, too. Just don't call me fourth anymore. I'm a number one sorta girl." He laughed and hung up on me. Hopefully he'll be knee deep in ▒Sha-love tonight. He and my girl deserve it. As for me, I park, grab my briefcase, and that's all she wrote. I'm crashing tonight. Gonna watch a good movie, get reacquainted with Ben and Jerry, and lay around in my very comfortable and most unsexy pajamas.

The long elevator ride to my floor is relaxing in a strange sort of way. I can finally breathe again now that this long work project is over with. It's the first big one I've been a part of since joining the company and its success certainly makes me look good. My next assignment won't begin until next week, and with my date tomorrow night, I'm on Cloud 9.

That is, until I walked through my front door and felt this wave of... I'm not sure exactly. Something intense. Then I caught sight of Tommy on his cell phone pacing our living room wearing an expression I can only describe as crippling. The color was drained from his normally bronzed face in a way I've never seen before. I'm suddenly terrified. "Tommy?"

He barely registers my presence when he looks up, but I can see unshed tears in his eyes. He's shaking... I only catch brief snippets of what he says to whomever he is talking to.

"When did it happen?... Are you sure?... How bad is?... Is she?... But it's bad, right? Really bad?... What hospital is she did they take her to?... I'll be there as soon as I can."

I watch the cell phone fall to the floor from Tommy's trembling hand. I'm at his side that very second, grabbing his arm, forcing him to look at me. "What happened?"

His eyes are vacant, his voice as fragile as I have ever heard it. "My...my mother was hit by a drunk driver. She's in critical condition."

Dear God!

My world slows to a somber crawl while watching my best friend's agony. He's so close to his mother and I know this is killing him. I can't think about anything except easing his suffering. Nothing else matters except being by his side. "I'll make the arrangements, Tommy. We'll fly out as soon as we can tonight."

* * *

**Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and Orthopedic Hospital **

**Surgical Intensive Care **

**Fifth floor **

**1250 16th Street **

**Friday, February 29, 2008 3:30 AM **

**Santa Monica, CA**

It always seems that life chooses the most unexpected of times to remind you that time isn't promised to you, and that no one person is any more special than any other.

No matter what church you attend, or if you don't believe in a higher power at all. No matter what political party you belong too, or if you could care less about the whole governmental system. No matter what country you come from, your race, age, sexual preference, social status, or bank account balance, the grim reaper might have you down as next on his list. It's only a matter of time. So I think the lesson I'm supposed to take away from what happened tonight is that each and every day is precious unto itself and should be lived to the fullest. No one is guaranteed sixty years of a wonderful marriage, amazing children, adorable grandchildren, perfect health and a fairy tale ending until our final breath.

At the end of the day, our loved ones are our lives.

While my balancing skills are best put to use on a gymnastics beam, my three-coffees-and-a-small-bag-of-donuts act isn't being aided by my tired eyes at this extremely late hour. As if the agonizingly long, last-minute flight to California in economy class that Tommy and I got stuck in wasn't bad enough, this stupid elevator feels like it only ascends one floor per hour. Then again, I hate hospitals. I mean I really hate them. Despise them, even. When I was seven yeas old, my parents brought me to see my grandmother one last time before cancer claimed her life. From that moment on I have hated hospitals with a passion.

I hate the way they look, the way they smell, and the potential devastation that awaits you almost every time you get that call saying a loved one has been admitted.

Alas, it's time to push my personal feelings aside. I know tonight isn't about me, but about someone very close to someone I am very close too. Elizabeth Oliver's car accident nearly killed her and that would have killed Tommy and her dear husband. Some fucking drunk driver slammed his out of control S.U.V. into her car at nearly one hundred miles per hour. Its a miracle she escaped with the injuries she did, but they're still pretty substantial.

At least she's alive and will recover in time, but it isn't going to be easy or quick. The first time I laid eyes on Mrs. Oliver after her surgery she was so bruised and was hooked up to so many machines that I barely recognized her. Tommy was squeezing my hand so hard I almost lost feeling in it. His dad and David told us as much as they knew about the accident and her condition, but the sight of that fragile, unconscious woman in that hospital bed will forever haunt me.

The drunk driver was killed on impact. That might be a blessing in disguise for him seeing as how Tommy swore he would have killed him himself if he had gotten the chance. That one outburst was the only emotion as he's shown thus far, although I know he's dying inside. He's suffering quietly, trying to remain strong for his dad while I remain strong for him.

I feel this sense of responsibility and protectiveness towards him tonight, more than I ever have before.

Thankfully, Tommy's far from alone. David's been wonderful and I truly wish this first time I met him would have come under different circumstances. He's a great guy and I see the resemblance to his little brother in his warm brown eyes. As soon as Tommy called him about his mother's accident, David was at the hospital within thirty minutes and is still here eight hours later. His loyalty to Tommy shows in how he regards his younger brother's adoptive mother as his own. He's a Licensed Physical Therapist who's also in his third year of medical school. His knowledge of medical procedure has made this ordeal easier for all of us to understand.

While down the cafeteria, I suddenly felt the urge to call my mom and dad and leave messages for them to tell them I love them and also about what happened to Mrs. Oliver. I just needed to hear them, even if it was only their voices on the answering machine. This tragic accident has really shaken me up and I don't want to take anything for granted anymore.

The bing chime precedes the opening of the elevator doors. I escape down a long hall trying to ignore the sterile smell and forcing my eyes to look straight ahead as to not catch any stray glimpses of sick people in their hospital beds. I turn the corner towards Elizabeth's room and find David and Mr. Oliver conversing privately. My eyes search for Tommy as I pass the nurse's station. It seems the kindly lady on night duty noticed, now favoring me with a compassionate expression.

"I think your husband went to the bathroom."

Her assumption stuns me at first, and on more than one level. My feet stop on a dime, but then I consider how I've closely shadowed Tommy since we arrived. If it weren't commonly known that we're not a couple, anyone could easily mistake our relationship. I don't correct her, but just offer a polite "thank you."

I find it curious that I don't want to correct her, but now's not the time to begin the long process of working that out in my head.

"Guys, we have caffeine and donuts." David greets me with a yawn and takes the donuts while Tommy's dad, Robert Oliver, relieves me of all the coffees and sets them on a small table. "Eat up."

A soothing groan escapes Robert's lips, savoring the hot coffee's rich flavor. His smile is as endearing now as it was when Tommy and I were dating all those years ago. "Thank you so much, Kim. For everything."

"It was my pleasure."

"I think we all needed you tonight," David added while stretching the kinks out of his neck. "Especially Tommy."

They both took turns giving me a big hugs that I reciprocated accordingly. I'm suddenly taken back to the first time I was invited to dinner at the Oliver's house and how they made me feel like family right from the start. I was comfortable the moment I sat down, despite my nervous jitters. Elizabeth even took me to the mall the next day so we could get to know each other. God, I was so scared I was going to say something stupid or walk into a door or otherwise make a fool out of myself. We had the best talk ever over hot dogs and fries about boys, school, dating, and make-up. It's one of my most cherished memories. She was amazingly patient and completely understood that Tommy was the first guy I had ever really dated and I was a nervous wreck when it came to his parents.

Of course, a couple of years later I broke her son's heart with a stupid letter. After that, I drank a big glass of coward and never even so much as sent the Oliver's a Christmas card from then on. I had always heard that mothers never, ever forgot who hurt their children no matter how many years passed. Perhaps that's a bit naive, but like I said, I drank a big glass of coward. Anyway, she called the week I moved in with Tommy and we talked for two and half hours as if nothing had ever happened. The past was the past and I had thought about it a million times more than Tommy's parents ever had.

I felt like a part of their family again, and I really liked that.

"So when does Hillary's flight get in?" David asked Robert. Aunt Hillary was Elizabeth's only sister and lives in Nevada. "'Cause if you can't do it, I can pick her up at the airport."

Clearly exhausted after one of the longest days of his life, Robert seemed almost apologetic. "David, that would be a big help. I think she arrives at 10:00 AM. I'll get you her flight information in the morning, but only if you're sure it wouldn't be a problem?"

"Think nothing of it. Just call my cell."

I leave them behind for a moment as I struggle to keep my tired eyes open when footsteps approach. A hand brushes over mine for a brief second and I know it's Tommy before I even see him. "Coffee and donuts," I present to him as cheerfully as I can muster, but he politely declines. I know this mood. When he's lost in his thoughts he shuts everything else out, he's far from ready to talk about what he's feeling, but that's okay by me. I already know what he's feeling. I just know him. "Tommy, eat something, please?"

I get his mildly annoyed expression because even asking once is pushing him. "Kim, I'm not..."

"For me?"

A heartbeat passes. Then another. I know Robert and David are within earshot and I'm sure I've piqued their interest where Tommy and I are concerned, but that's not important right now. I grab a frosted donut and hold it out for my ex-boyfriend. This is pure manipulation and I'm fine with it. I know I'm using that part of him that deeply loves me in whatever way.

As if resigned to his fate, Tommy takes the donut and devours it in three big bites. The scene makes me smile as I wonder if that's how he ate as a child. I knew he was starving. Sorry Mr. Oliver, but you can't live off worry.

When David mumbles a cute little whipped remark to Tommy he laughs for the first time in hours. His dad does too. Perhaps its time to start enjoying the fact that Elizabeth will recover instead of brooding over how it happened. As strange as this sounds, it was her air bag and seatbelt that caused her internal bleeding and broken collar bone. Ironically enough, they saved her life, but according to the nurse, they're the indirect culprits in a ton of severe injuries from automobile accidents. Color me surprised.

Nonetheless, despite the bruises and surgery, Elizabeth Oliver will recover. And that's worth celebrating when the time is right. For now a smile will do.

"Bro, why don't you go on home and call it a night?" Tommy said with his hands on David's shoulders. "Go get some sleep."

"Tommy, I'm fine."

"No, you've done enough. Your eyes are bloodshot red and you're about to pass out. Please. Just go get some sleep. And thank you again. I love you, man. For everything."

"Love you too, bro." David and Tommy hug tight, and then after a polite goodbye to Robert and I, he disappears around the corner on his way home. I guess men can only show emotion at certain times and when a mother is in danger it's perfectly okay for a man to say he loves another. Guys are dumb that way, but oh well.

It's so clear to me where Tommy got his walk when I watch his father, even though they are not blood related. Robert dumped his coffee in the trash bin and then came over to Tommy and I. "I've got a comfortable lounge chair in Liz's room. I'm going to try and get some rest before I pass out," he said to us in a way that I'm sure was to convey he's going to be alright. The worse is over. "I suggest you two catch some shut eye. I'll call you if anything changes, alright?"

I can see Tommy's rebuttal about leaving appear on his face, so I speak up for him, taking his hand. "I'll make sure he gets some sleep, Mr. Oliver." My roommate's not pleased with my answering for him, but he holds his tongue just the same.

Robert gives me a fatherly wink, much to Tommy's dismay. "Thank you again, Kim. I won't ever forget this."

We hug one more time and exchange goodbyes. The door to Elizabeth's room shuts behind him.

I almost expect a fight, but a weary sigh draws my attention. Tommy's eyes are shut and his head is bowed as if he's on the verge of collapsing from the emotional roller coaster ride his soul's been on today. I don't know why the urge to walk into him and lay my head over his heart is too strong to resist, so I do it anyway. "You alright?"

His strong arms closed tight around me, sealing us together, and it feels more intimate than any sex I've ever had. I can feel his heartbeat, and the sound is so comforting. "I am now," he whispered into my hair, pressing his face there and visibly relaxing. We stay that way for a time, enjoying the emotionally powerful connection that's between us, the depths of which I'm still terrified to acknowledge.

Tommy sort of guides us to the couch. We're leaving soon, but for now he seems to have something to say. "Kim, I can't thank you enough for what you've done. I mean, its a big deal flying all the way across the country and I'm... I'm just really happy you're here."

▒Where else would I be?▓ is dancing on the tip of my tongue, but I'm afraid to say it. I'm also afraid of how it will feel when he lets go of my hand. "That's what best friends are for."

He favors me with the most sincere smile... and a bit more. "I never once asked how your day was."

"You'll be happy to know that the project from hell is finally finished and approved. I got a nice bonus, so you're likely to get one hell of a birthday present."

"Congratulations. You deserve it. I know how hard you've been working." This feels nice, talking to him late at night. Its like he's the end of my day. Poetic, and yet, meant to be. "So what's new with Jacks?"

"Who?"

"Jacks," he laughs at me. "Your potential new boy toy?"

"Oh, him..." I'm clearly embarrassed that I forgot his name. I shrug some sort of reply. "Things are... they're fine, I guess. New, but fine."

"I'm happy for you. I hope it works out." Do you? Really? Your eyes say something else. But is that real, or just something I secretly wish to see?

I do need to get some sleep, I know that much for certain. "Tommy, lets go." I'm smiling while tugging on his hand to force him to stand. He makes an exaggerated pose, acting as if he's fighting it. The nurse at her station is smiling at us again. "It's time for me to get you in bed."

"Why couldn't you have said that to me when I was seventeen?"

There's that daring Tommy I love so much. "You couldn't handle it back then."

"And you think I can now?"

I playfully swat his arm while remaining close to him. "You need rest."

"No, I need you."

I'm leaning against him as we get in the elevator, my head on his shoulder, still a bit high after hearing that line. "You have me," quietly passes my lips before the elevator doors close.

* * *

**The home of Robert and Elizabeth Oliver **

**1551 Ocenan Ave **

**One of two guest rooms **

**Friday, February 29, 2008 4:50 AM **

**Santa Monica, CA**

The last time I was up this late I was so drunk I couldn't see straight.

That rhymes, but I'm so tired that even remembering the college graduation party where I drank myself silly would take more energy than I have to spare. Thankfully for me, that was the last time I ever toasted the sky until I forgot where I was. My petite frame was simply not built for a future life of AA meetings. Nonetheless, as far as drinks go, I could certainly have used one tonight. Actually, make that this morning, since it's almost 5:00 A.M.

But since I'm sadly devoid of alcohol, two aspirin and a glass of water will have to do for my headache and restless state. The king-sized bed in the Oliver's guest room certainly provides a world of comfort, but I'm still wide awake for some insane reason. My body feels like death warmed over and my brain just won't shut down. I hate when that happens. And I chipped a nail today. I really hate when that happens. Oh, and I also found a gray hair.

Old folks home, here I come. Now where are my false teeth?

Joking aside, since I'm only a couple years shy of thirty, these things were bound to happen. And as those gray hairs appear, I will cut them, color them, and use any other means necessary to eliminate their existence. Yes, I am so worn out that I'm having this conversation with myself. My body wanted to collapse, and it did just as soon as I was in my PJ's. My head just won't cooperate to give me the sleepy time I need. Add that to the fact that my back, neck, and feet hurt. I need some really good ice cream, some really good sex, and a full body massage, though not necessarily in that order. A drink certainly wouldn't hurt either.

Oh well, despite this irritating bout of insomnia, at least Mrs. Oliver is doing much better. That's all that matters to me. If she had died... I just don't want to think of what that would have done to Tommy. He's such a quiet, dear soul and I couldn't take it if he lost her. Their relationship is a joy to behold, just so amazing. Elizabeth's a fighter and I know she's going to make a full recovery. Soon, she'll be right back to leaving Tommy those cute little messages on his answering machine, you know, like reminding him to wear clean underwear every day and that if he ever runs into Paris Hilton, he needs to just keep right on walking. No spoiled, nose-candy-loving socialites for her boy.

Okay brain, time to shut down. We've done enough thinking for the next two years. Just give me a couple of yawns and I'll do the rest.

Come on...

Tick, tock, tick, tick, tock, tick, tock...

... FUCK!

I'm just lying here in the dark staring up at the ceiling and it's so quiet I can practically hear myself talking in my own head. I would have to pick the guest room with no TV or radio. Just my luck. And to think I was pretty damn hopeful that sometime later today I would be getting laid! Mmmm...Jacks!

A faint knock at my door yanked me from my solo pity party. Whoever could it be?

"Kim, you awake?" Spoken quietly, just in case I was asleep.

I wish. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Are you decent?"

Ever the gentleman, I'm reminded. Pushing the covers back, I sit up against the headboard and sigh. "Why don't you open the door and find out." Teasing him is one of my favorite pastimes, but my teasing mood soon faded when he carefully opened the door. Shirtless with just an old pair of sweat pants, the shadows love the muscled lines of his lithe body...he looks good enough to eat. Great. Just fucking great. He walks in all Greek God-like and here I am with a horrific case of bed-head perfectly complimenting my Dora the Explorer jammies. Hey!...They're soft, comfortable, cheap and not one percent sexy in any way, shape, or form.

Tommy's eyes grace over my sleeping attire. "Those pajama's are so hot."

I'd throw a sock at him if I had only remembered to pack some. Alas, he's exhausted too and even when I want to smack him, I still love it when he's around. "Victoria's Secret was having a sale." I thumbed the hem of my top for effect. "Did you know that Dora the Explorer was named the sexiest female animated character of 2007? She beat out Lois from The Family Guy and that hologram chick from Halo 3." He's laughing with his head tilted to the side and that's a good sign as far as I'm concerned. "Can't sleep?"

"Not even a little bit," he confessed, stretching his arms out above his head, clearly enjoying the pull of tired muscle. Damn those shadows gracing the contours of his tight abs. It's not that I'm drooling over him, but I am wearing a pair of PJ's with a cartoon character on them. I kinda, sorta want him to want me, even though together-wise we don't want each other, in a relationship sense, if that makes any sense. It's late and my thoughts are all over the place. The sound of his voice clears my head for a moment. "Do you mind some company?"

Snark just bubbles out of me. "Tommy, are you coming onto me?"

His arms cross as if he's mildly offended. "In those pajamas? No, not hardly."

He's still smiling, so all's well. I pat my hand on the edge of the bed, inviting him to approach. He does, then lays down sideways, and it's cozy having him so close in the dark. There's a warm intimacy to us that I've always enjoyed. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like I've been run over by a Mack truck, but I'll live." I see I'm not the only one with a sore neck from the way he's massaging the back of his. I know he's still dealing with a heavy heart too.

"It'll only get better from now on," I hear myself promise him. He nods as if that was exactly the reassurance he needed. I feel honored I have that affect on him. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to fly out tomorrow night, I unfortunately have to remind him.

My apologetic tone touches him. It's all there in the way his eyes lock with mine and won't let go. "I'm staying until next Friday." It's his turn to sound apologetic. He's staying without me and I'm going to miss him. I miss him already. Then he adds, "I'm going to miss you."

"And my Dora the Explorer pajama's?"

The pleased tenderness in his expression relaxed us both. "Yes, but mostly you." We're quiet for a heart beat... We don't want to be apart right now for whatever mysterious reason. When he sits up straight, his mood turns sincere and serious. "You've been so wonderful to me and my family today, Kim. I really needed you and you came through for me. I won't ever forget that. It's a big deal just picking up and flying across the country on a moment's notice. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you did."

His praise humbles me. "You would have done the same for me."

"In a heartbeat."

I know that. I've always known that. He's as reliable as they come and a dear friend. My dearest friend these days, if I'm honest with myself. Maybe even more. It seems the late hours have softened my hard-nosed stance on thinking about him in inappropriate ways. I'm acutely aware of his breathing and how close my foot is to his thigh. And I can feel his gaze fall all over me. I like it more than I care to admit. "Where's your shirt?" His smirk means he either forgot it or wanted to get a reaction out of me. Neither of us will follow up on my question. It'll just hang in the air like so many other things between us.

Then out of the blue the jerk tickles my foot, causing me to squirm. "I always knew you had a foot fetish. I caught you staring at my red patent leather stiletto heels once and..." Okay, that's so not fair. Where did this man learn to give such a soothing foot massage and can I send the girl who taught him a bouquet of roses? The wonderful pleasure he's working through my feet has me almost humming. Oh boy, I am humming. This man is working some magic. "Indulge that fetish of your's all you want."

His soft laughter in the dark charms me. "Feel good?"

"Better than good..."

"I always knew I could please you in bed."

I give him the middle finger for that one, despite agreeing silently. I'm blessed with a couple more minutes of foot massage bliss until he lets them go and moves over the bed. When he invades my personal space I can't resist my lips curling seductively. He gently brushed some of my hair off my neck. The tenderness of his affection made me blush. "What are you doing?"

"Your diamond earrings," he gave a nod, all the while his warm hand remained on my neck, his thumb grazing softly over my cheek. Why is my heart beating so fast? "I love the design. Where did you get them?"

"You bought them for me for Christmas." He mocks me by acting as if he forgot. It dawns on me that he's so close I can smell mint on his breath. He brushed his teeth before coming in here, and now I'm ducking my head because of the simmering tension growing between us. Have I gone without sex for so long that a simple caress on the back of my neck has me practically purring? "That's was a pretty lame excuse to use to get close to me."

"I thought I was already close to you."

"I mean this close." My voice turned all whisperish without my consent, and he's smiling that gorgeous smile of his. The one that used to make my tummy do back flips. The one that still does, despite our friendship. I should probably ask if caressing your best friend's neck while staring deeply into her eyes is in the friendship handbook. He's doing that too. "Are you going to stop that?"

"Do you want me to?"

I shouldn't want what I want. "It feels good, but..."

"You'd rather Jacks was the one touching you?"

I blink at his assumption. "I'm not opposed to it." His hand moves immediately from my neck. He has the nerve to look mildly annoyed. "Considering your romp last week with Sara you have no..."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Don't play dumb."

He doesn't, leaving any retort buried in his throat. We can't talk about the possessiveness we still carry toward each other. I can't admit that I lost sleep over him banging Sara. It did bother me. And he can't tell me, even though his eyes betray him, that my interest in Jacks bothers him.

"Just be careful," he finally offers, a somewhat guilty expression on his face. Good. "Do we need to have the birds and the bees talk?"

My eyes roll. "I know exactly where everything goes, what it does, and how it feels, Dad."

"Oh, so I'm not even your brother anymore?"

"Are we about to bring up the letter again, dear brother?" We're enjoying the easy flirtatious banter that's just a part of who we are to each other. "Since neither of us can get to sleep, I want to ask you a question."

We rearrange ourselves, lying down facing each other. "Ask away."

"Tell me about your first time." He wasn't expecting that, clearly curious as to why I asked. Join the club. I just always wanted to know.

"It was with Katherine."

"I know." And still I hate that despite all the years that have passed and the life I've lived. "When, where, and why?"

His eyes shut as he reminisces back to the last day of his innocence, and I'm not sure if I like the expression on his face, like a once upon a time fondness. "My parents were out of town one weekend, so Kat lied to her parents about staying over at Tanya's house. We hadn't planned for that night to be our first time, but she was on the pill and I had condoms. I think after dating for five months we knew something was going to happen sooner or later. We were each other's first that night." He paused for a moment. "It was very special."

At the end of the day, I'm happy he enjoyed his first sexual experience and that it was with someone he loved at the time. Even if I still feel a pang or two of jealousy. "I suppose you want to hear about mine now?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Why not?"

He was smiling as he said, "because a very immature part of me is still jealous your first time wasn't with me, alright? There, I said it!"

"And you think I'm not jealous of you and Kat?"

"You could have had me, but you dumped me. So no, I doubt my first time means to you what yours means to me."

"You're wrong." It's so stupid for us to be having this argument after all the years that have passed, and yet some old wounds never fade. Some regrets, while shaping who you ultimately become, are still that: regrets. While looking at each other, I sorely wish I knew what he was thinking, what he was feeling. "My first time wasn't a bad experience at all, Tommy, but I do wish it had been with you. I always imagined you to be my first, and I'll always regret that you weren't."

"Likewise." I suddenly feel vindicated in some strange way. At one time I was the center of his universe and I miss being the center of someone's universe. I know he does too. That's why we're lying here together instead of him being here with a girlfriend and me being back home with a boyfriend. We haven't found those special someones just yet, but we have each other and that's enough for now.

Tommy lifted my chin with the tip of his finger."You're quiet."

"So are you." It's dark, so very late, and we've just shared a very emotionally draining day. The bond between is so strong, no matter how different it is from in the past, and some day it will change again when one of us falls in love with someone else. For now, though, he's mine. I don't like to think about the day that I'll have to share him, or worse, let him go. I wonder if he ever thinks of me that way. What happens when the day arrives that I can't just up and hop on a plane because he needs me?

"What's on your mind, Kim?"

"It's late and I'm zoning out or something."

"Do you want me to read you a bedtime story?" he teases.

I'm playing with fire tonight and just can't seem to stop. "You finally get me in bed and you want to read to me?"

"I didn't know I had any other options."

I should tell him he doesn't. I should wipe that smirk off his handsome face with a witty comeback. I need to create some distance between us because he looks so warm and inviting to me tonight. I'm lonely and tired and he knows what makes me laugh and cry. There's a part of me that wants to be touched so badly. Maybe that's why I ask him the very last thing I should've asked. "What option would you want?"

His answer came by drawing me to him and curling his powerful arms around my waist. I didn't pull away. I couldn't. I savored the feeling of being pressed snugly to his chest, soaking up the heat of his body. It felt so good my eyes involuntarily closed. My cool facade is as broken as my will to resist this elemental pull I feel towards him tonight. All the banter and flirting have led to this moment. I'm lying in his arms while holding him in mine. His embrace shouldn't feel this alluring. The adoration I feel from him makes me feel so beautiful.

We're speechless in the dark, conveying messages through touch. Yes, I do want you. Yes, this is a mistake. Yes, I know you want me too.

And I love you.

My lips parted in silence. I couldn't tell him to stop because I didn't want to. Tommy bowed his head and I felt his lips brush once, then once again, over my throat. I swear my whole body quivered. His tender kisses traveled slowly, giving me ample time to push him away, until they reached my neck, just over my pulse point. The mattress dipped as he positioned above me, his solid weight covering my body.

Where I should have pushed him away, I felt my hand cup the back of his head, holding him to me while he French kissed the length of my neck, his heart beating against mine. The feeling of his open mouth making love to my skin had my hands roaming over his muscled back. I was moaning into his ear, and I know it turned him on. I wanted him to burn for me. Lord have mercy...shudders literally rippled up and down my spine courtesy of his agile tongue.

I can feel how badly he wants me. Pressed against where my body desires him, my mind flashes images of him surging inside me. I'm moaning when his mouth crosses over my throat again. My legs part, allowing him to center between them. I can feel all of him, and God, it feels so good. His kisses trail over my jaw, edging closer to my lips. I feel his forehead press to mine, the warmth of his breath caressing my mouth.

I have simply lost my mind. Desire's burning me from the inside out. I gave up loving this man so many years ago, but I still know his soul as well as I know my own. Dammit, I do want him.

I want him all over me... inside me... marking me as his.

But this is wrong. The reasons are all messed up. No matter what my body and heart are begging for, I know the real reason we're here, just seconds away from making love for the very first time. I might be as far from perfect as a person can be, but I manage to produce well under pressure. I'm going to do the right thing no matter how wrong it feels. This is going to kill me, but I gently push at his chest. His body lifts slowly as our eyes meet. Mine, apologetic. His, dark with passion.

"Kim, please."

Even his voice is making love to me. "Tommy, I do love you. I always have and I always will, but this isn't us." He's waiting for me to explain while I try to sort out a jumble of thoughts while wanting to rip his sweats off and let him fuck my brains out. "We've seen each other in our underwear plenty of times. We get annoyed when the other person has a great date. We've had accidental shower mishaps and every other TV show cliche that precedes a couple getting together. We never once stepped over the line, not in over half a year's time. But tonight we're so connected over your mom' accident, the stress and the closeness we shared has our emotions seeking some sort of comfort. That's still not reason enough for us to make love. That's the wrong reason, just like sleeping together because we're lonely or horny, or just bored, would be the wrong reason. We've been living together for months now with nothing stopping us from doing anything. Ask yourself why tonight of all nights this happens?"

I can see the war raging in his eyes. He can't stand my reasoning, and yet it hits close to home. I can tell he almost hates that he's revealed that he wants me. Join the club. "I could never just have sex with you, Kim. Not with you. Not like that. I'd want it to mean so much more." I know what he means, and I instantly miss his body when he moves off me. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't do anything I didn't want you to do." He's lost in his thoughts, probably trying to process what almost happened. "I just don't want us to do something that might ruin our friendship. I value you in my life, Tommy. I don't want to mess up what we have by indulging our bodies instead of using our heads."

A smile rises over his face. "I value you too, Kim. It's just... you're incredibly beautiful and sexy. I lost my head."

And I was about to lose my top. Thank goodness I don't say that out loud. "It' cool. How about we just chalk it up as one of those crazy moments?"

"Sounds like a plan."

My body is still humming, but I'm finally yawning. I can feel sleepiness taking over at last. When I sense Tommy about to get up off the bed, my hand grabs his. I don't verbally ask, but with a simple tug he descends under the covers and curls around me in a lose, but affectionate, embrace.

I needed him tonight as badly as he needed me. Whatever that ultimately means is a topic for another day. But for tonight, I need to know he's alright. I want him close. I want to be there for him.

"Kim?" he whispers in the dark.

"Hmmm?"

"You're going to regret that."

Just before I drift off into sleep, I whisper back with a smile, "I already do."

* * *

**(Closing credits roll while voice over previewing the next episode begins) 'Next on The Glory Days.' ""**

**Suggested listening music for Episode 3:**

**1. It's M****y Life √ Bon Jovi**

**2. Simple Man √ Amy Jo Johnson**

**3. Through The Rain √ Mariah Carey**

**4. Ghosts √ Nick Lachey**

**5. Alicia Keys - Diary**

**6: Nickleback - Far Away**

**7: Phil Collins - One More Night**


	4. Episode 4

Title: "The Glory Days"  
Chapter 4/?  
Written by: Pink-Green-White-4ever

Summary: As winter decides to hang on a little longer in NYC, Kim finds more than the weather changing in her life. A surprise to cheer up a friend turns into something that could dramatically alter her view on her life and where it's heading.

Category: Drama/Romance  
Rating: M. Adult language, adult situations, and sexual encounters.  
Chapters containing sex scenes will be marked accordingly.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the PR universe. If I did I'd be  
living in a mansion. **Pink-Green-White-4ever:** _(Yeah! What Shawn said!)_

Timeline: Everything up to the end of Dino Thunder is canon. Kim's  
background post "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" is all my creation.  
The story is set in January 2008.

Email: 

Special Notes: This is being written in Kim's P.O.V, so it is Kim-  
centric with a heavy emphasis on other characters and relationships  
as well.

Authors Notes 1. Sit back, relax, and pretend you're about to watch a  
new television show airing its series premier. Oh yeah, it's on cable.  
It's featuring characters you grew up with and some new ones I hope  
you grow to love. None of them are perfect, so don't expect cookie  
cutter characters who always say, act, think, and react in a Brady  
Bunch sort of way. They're human and that's why we love them.  
Imperfect as the day is old.

Authors Notes 2: All details as to the how and why things are the way  
they are will be expiated in the story. Trust me, answers are coming.

**Pink-Green-White-4ever: **_(yeah, what he said!)_

Authors Notes 3: No chapter in this series will feature more than two  
scenes in order to make it easier to update more frequently. Also you  
might see other PR authors dip into this little universe from time to  
time writing their own chapters. I know certain things that will  
happen, how and when, but there is no definitive end to this series.  
It's ongoing until... well, until. **Pink-Green-White-4ever**: _(snickers _

_I'd be one of those PR Authors dipping in…..I love playing in Shawn's _

_Universe, it's always a lot more interesting there!)_

Authors Notes 4: TK fans... it's gonna be a slow burn. But you know  
me 'wink' **Pink-Green-White-4ever**: _(And damn if he doesn't mean a really SLOOOOOWWWW burn when he says that...pouts) _

_There's a place I've been lookin' for_

_That took me in and out of buildings_

_Behind windows, walls and doors_

_And I thought I found it_

_Couple times, even settled down_

_And I'd hang around just long enough_

_To find my way back out_

_I know now the place that I was trying to reach_

_Was you, right here in front of me_

_And I wouldn't change a thing_

_I'd walk right back through the rain_

_Back to every broken heart_

_On the day that it was breakin'_

_And I'd retrieve all the years_

_And be thankful for the tears_

_I've cried with every stumbled step_

_That led to you and got me here, right here_

_It's amazing what I let my heart go through_

_To get me where it got me_

_In this moment here with you_

_And it passed me by_

_God knows how many times_

_I was so caught up in holding_

_What I never thought I'd find_

_I know now, there's a million roads I had to take_

_To get me in your arms that way_

_-- Rascal Flatts, Here --_

Episode 4 "God Bless This Broken Road"

An unseen announcer speaks over the end of the credits for the last  
program aired. "Up next, 'The Glory Days'.

(Voice over begins with the show's theme song, Bon Jovi's "It's My  
Life" playing in the background)

"Once upon a time there was a little girl growing up in sunny California who wanted a typical life." footage of a little girl with curly brown hair chasing an older brother away running with her Barbie dolls and then kicking him hard in the balls when she caught him "She entertained dreams of being the worlds greatest gymnast." footage of the young girl, about ten years old now racing around her house in her leotard, and then doing jumps and flips under her father's instruction in the backyard of a nice house "She was blessed with the best friends ever." footage of the young girl, a boy with sandy blond hair, another with dark hair, another boy with warm brown eyes, and a girl with long dark hair - all smiling bright for the camera "Like I said, she wanted what she got, a typical life. That was until high school hit and with that monumental occasion came a brave new world. Her first gymnastics competition." footage of the now teenage girl preparing for a first meeting, looking nervous but determined "Her first true love." standing with her best friend, the girl catches sight of a boy preparing for a martial arts tournament that takes her breath away "And the absolute most shocking experience of her entire life." footage tinged in black and white with the words "top secret" scrolling across the bottom of the screen, a Pink Ranger battling alongside her teammates, flying Zords, fighting against and then with a Green Ranger, gazing at the White Ranger

"Then her typical life turned upside down when her parents divorced." shots of the girl seated on a couch being talked too by her parents about their breakup, then a tearful goodbye at an airport with her mother and another man "An opportunity of a lifetime that would separate her from her friends and boyfriend." images of Coach Schmidt, the girl addressing her team, walking with Tommy along the shore, and giving her powers to Katherine "As one door closed, another opened to a new adventure that seemed to send her places she never expected to go." fast moving images of a girl getting off a plane in Florida, training hard, sitting in classes, talking on the phone to her boyfriend, preparing for the international competition and dealing with the press, meeting a new male friend, a deeply powerful kiss with the new guy under moonlight, writing a painful letter while crying her eyes out, more training, the Pan Global games, breaking up with the new guy, getting her first apartment, a tense meeting with her ex-boyfriend after an encounter with the Rangers, them finally making peace at a funeral for a dear friend, her finishing college with honors "With an amazing life already behind her, the next phase came in the form of a job opportunity in New York City, New York." shots of her leaving departing another plane, of gazing out of a taxi at the Big Apple, her face smiling brightly "As it often does when you least expect it, her life began to take turns she hadn't expected." meeting her new band mates who were fixing computers at her office, guys who worked for the Best Buy Geek Squad, them practicing, her getting on stage again for the first time in years. "And most crazy, or wonderful of all, a chance encounter, one in a million, with the man of her... with someone very special." shocked expressions on an older Tommy and Kim's face at a apartment showing, both worrying over not being able to pay the rent individually, an idea struck over coffee, arguing over moving in and who's stuff goes where, accidental moments in the shower, an almost kiss in the rain "She wanted a typical life and yet lived anything but. Angel Grove was chapter one." footage of Angel Grove High and the Command Center "Florida was chapter 2." footage of Coach Schmidt's training compound, the girl's dorm room, and the beach "New York is the newest chapter." Daytime skyline flyover of New York followed by the grown woman walking the streets of NY, looking sharp, her shoulder length brown hair blowing in the wind, determined and focused on the life ahead of her on screen credits read 'Created and written by Shawn - co-produced with Pink-Green-White-Forever' "That young girl who wanted a typical life grew up to be me. My name is Kimberly Ann Hart and this is my story. The Glory Days of my life." 

**5:30 p.m.**

**Saturday**

**March 8, 2008**

**115 West 57th Street **

**4th Fl. **

**New York City, New York**

**20 floor apartment building,**

"Okay, you are seriously worrying me now," Tommy muttered as I tried to stifle my laughter. I have him blindfolded, dressed to kill in a pair of black dress pants and a nice blue polo shirt – a definite departure from his normal color scheme which consists of a lot of white, a lot of red, a lot of black, minimal browns, and very few greens, and those of us who knew him once upon a time, can't blame him for that choice, no matter how much we tease him about having been the Christmas Tree Colored Ranger. I'm helping him put his coat on now, before getting my own and leading him down to the curb to catch our cab. "Are you at least going to give me a hint?"

"Hell no," I laugh, snuggling close to him for warmth in the cab. "You're WAY too good at the guessing game. No, this is going to be a surprise."

"You know, living in New York City for all of my fifty years and being a cabby for about twenty of those, I'd thought I'd seen it all," our cab driver mutters as he cuts in and out of traffic toward our destination, drawing both mine and Tommy's attention to him. "I mean, I've never seen anybody being dragged out of a high rise apartment building by a beautiful brunette, looking all spiffy and classy-like and being blinded folded. You two got something kinky going on tonight?"

"No sir, just a very super secretive surprise," I try to tell him as seriously as possible while watching the look that swept onto Tommy's face – I'm not sure if he's amused by the cabby, appalled by the suggestion of us doing something kinky, or resigned to the fact that I'm not telling him, possibly all three. Considering what happened a few weeks ago, I wouldn't be surprised if he was appalled by the thought of doing something kinky with me. I did, after all, turn him down…okay Kim, stop thinking about sex and Tommy in the same sentence. That's a road best left un-traveled,

It's a good thing I had handed the cab drive the slip of paper with our destination on it when I'd gotten in, because when he saw our destination, he just took off from the curb. If I'd said out loud where our destination was, Tommy would have guessed by now where we're going. After all, it's been all over the news for months now, and I was lucky as hell that I was able to get the tickets I did, let alone tickets period. This was supposed to be one of the events of the year.

The drive to Madison Square Garden doesn't take long, even with all the traffic. After paying the driver, I carefully climb out and get Tommy onto the curb without so much as a stumble. "Kim, where are we?"

"Not telling!" I sing in a shrill, excited voice. I can see him shooting glares at me, even under the blindfold. I silently drag him through the crowd, watching where we're both going so he doesn't stumble and fall, because really, that would just cap the kind of couple of weeks we've been having.

To be honest, I'm surprised as hell I scored the tickets at all. Neither Tommy nor I are big country music fans, but we're both guilty of listening to my Christmas gifts from Kat this last year. My fellow former lover of pink sent me some new c.d.'s as a gift – Rascal Flatts. I have to admit, I was a little put off by what I thought was country pop initially, but their songs have some pretty good messages, not to mention, they could almost be used as a soundtrack to both my and Tommy's lives the last few years. But that is neither here nor there. No, tonight is about us taking in what hopes to be an amazing performance – thank GOD for that snowstorm that made this concert get rescheduled from January – and we are going to forget about the stress and fear of the last few weeks.

Three weeks ago, if you'd asked me if I'd be taking such joy in tormenting Tommy, I'd have probably kicked your ass. He went through so much with his mom's accident and subsequent surgery, and the stress and fear that caused not only for him but me as well; this is why we need tonight. Even though everything went well and Mrs. O. came out of surgery okay, we've still been dealing with everything that happened – Tommy dealing with his mom and me dealing with these new, real, and positively scary feelings I've been experiencing since we've come home.

Okay, I admit it, I'm disappointed. We came 'yay' close to making love that night alone in his parents' house. A once very dear dream to both our hearts nearly got lived out right there in the guestroom, but the time, the place, and the reason would have tainted the actions. Comfort sex can be fun, and I'll admit, I've engaged in it before, but that's just the problem – I've been there done that – and that isn't something I want for Tommy or I. We've made peace with our past, we're able to laugh over it, but that one thing has never been resolved and if we'd done what we'd both wanted in that moment, it wouldn't have been good. A road best not traveled, because all it could do at this point is lead to heartache that I'm not sure I'd be able to survive again – I refuse to lose Tommy over something that can be avoided, he's too important to my life now.

"Earth to Kimberly, come in Kimberly," Tommy's voice suddenly pulls me from my thoughts.

"What?"

"We've been standing in the same spot for ten minutes, are we lost?"

He's smirking at me, and I so want to wipe that look off his face. I could probably do it, but there are people here and I wouldn't want to embarrass the former leader of the Power Rangers by kicking his ass in public view. "No dear, we're not lost," I innocently tell him, leaning against the arm I'm holding onto. "I just don't want you to know where we are."

"If you're planning on killing me, this probably isn't the best way to have it go unnoticed," he jokes with me.

"Handsome, if I wanted to kill you, I'd have done it before, in private, where no one would know," I tell him. "I know where you sleep at night, remember?" I purr in his ear, causing him to mentally glare at me. "Besides that, I've had ample opportunity thanks to Divatox, Maligore and Rita and Zedd. If I wanted you dead before, I'd have done it. No, I rather like keeping you around to torture you. Besides, if I get rid of you, who's going to carry my bags when I go shopping?"

The muscles in his jaw are ticking and I know he's thinking of something scathing to say. "Gee, lucky me."

"Calm down, I'm not going to get you killed," I assure him even as my eyes land on the merchandise booth not far from us. "Come on, I have one stop to make then we can go inside."

Once we're at the table, I carefully select my merchandise – a large shirt in black and red for Tommy and a small one for me, as a commemorative of the concert. After I pay for the merchandise, I lead him inside. As soon as we're sitting, I reach up and take the blindfold off. "Surprise."

"Where the hell are we?" he asks, looking around. "A concert?"

I glare at him, mentally reminding myself I'm supposed to be cheering him up, not plotting his untimely demise. "Yes, a concert, dufus," I mutter, and then hand him his t-shirt.

"Rascal Flatts?" he asks, utterly astonished. "How the hell did you score tickets for this?"

"Don't ask, because I still don't even know," I truthfully tell him. "Sit back and enjoy."

An hour later, with a good portion of their older hits out of the way, the group moved into one of the newer songs off their album 'Still Feels Good'. I've listened to the c.d. quite a bit when I need a few moments just to kick back and relax, because honestly, the songs on it have somehow reminded me of how my life has gone.

"Oh for the love of God," Tommy mutters in my ear, shaking me from my thoughts.

"What?"

"Look to your left," he whispers, causing my head to turn sharply in the direction. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise as I taken in a couple not far from us, still sitting in their seats. Now normally, that wouldn't surprise me. No, what surprises me is that the woman is sitting on his lap, her skirt hiked up around her waist, and they're bumping and grinding in the middle of a very family atmosphere. They couldn't be more than twenty, twenty one at the most, and I suddenly feel very old watching them.

"Kids these days," I mutter, causing my own date to crack up laughing and lean his forehead against my shoulder.

"Kim, they aren't much younger than we are," he reminds me.

"Shush. We never acted like that in public!" I hiss, turning my attention back to the concert.

"No, we only did that when no one was around – no parents, no monsters, no teammates, and definitely no Zordon."

I look at him, eyes wide and mouth open. "I cannot believe you just said that! We did not act like that at all, unless it was in your dirty, perverted mind!" I laugh. "And just what kind of thoughts were you having about me at that age, Tommy Oliver?"

He's looking rather sheepish now as we stare at each other, the song swelling around us. Oh, I know all about what guys think about, after all, I spent the day as a teenage boy once. If that wasn't a learning experience, I don't know what is. "Only that I had a very beautiful, very caring young lady that I loved very much and she loved me back," he whispers softly, his voice tinged in memory and a little bit of hurt. I can't help the internal wince at realizing that, because I know some hurts, no matter how far removed, still ache from time to time.

"I said I was sorry."

"I know, and I accepted that apology," he told me sincerely, before taking my hand and bringing it to his lips, placing the gentlest kiss on the back. We both turn back to the song and realize just which one is playing.

'Here' is one of our favorite songs, because in so many ways, it reminds us of, well, us. Our lives have not been perfect, because we are far from perfect. We have not had love lives that have been happily ever after, hence our living together and many of our double dates these last few months, but somehow, we've found our way back into each other's lives, and somehow, I think we're all the better for it.

As the familiar music of the next song starts up – 'Take Me There' – I notice that a young lady about five seats over to Tommy's right is looking intently at my date. I've seen that look before; he's been getting it from the female population for as long as I've known him. Normally, I'd nudge him in her direction, but for some odd reason, tonight, I want to be the center of his attention, aside from the concert. With a devious grin, I reach over and take his hand in mine, lacing our fingers together and smirking up at him when he looks over at me. He's giving me this look, like he might know what I'm doing but isn't entirely sure. I use my eyes to send him in the direction of his admirer, and he turns to give her a smile before turning back to me. My smirk suddenly turns to a genuine smile as he once again brings my hand up to kiss the back of it before settling back into his seat, our fingers still laced together. I lean my head against his shoulder and enjoy his presence and the music.

"Kim?" he asks me a few minutes later.

"Hmm?" I ask, tipping my head up from its spot on his shoulder to look at him.

He doesn't answer me, so I split my attention between the end of the song and him, and turn my head toward him, only to find his lips meeting mine in a gentle, unexpected kiss. We both recoil after a few seconds, shock evident in our expressions. I know I didn't plan for that to happen, and from the look on his face, he sure as hell didn't either. "Tommy?"

I don't get a response this time either, just him looking from my eyes to my lips and back, as if asking silently for something. Before either of us can fully think it through, our lips are meeting again in a much longer, much hotter kiss than we've ever shared. His hands come up to cup my cheeks, angling my head as he takes the kiss a little deeper. Okay, I have officially died and gone to heaven, as sappy as that sounds, because his lips are rose petal soft and they're doing wicked things to the butterflies that were in my stomach from our first little brush a few moments ago, not to mention the meshing they're doing with my own lips.

Jesus, talk about tempting fate! Tommy and I have never kissed like this before, not even in the three years we dated. Yes, we made out, several times, but even then it was with the sweetness of first love, and the timid-ness of being seriously in love for the first time. This kiss, it blows all those out of the water. Feeling his tongue dip into my mouth to hungrily tangle with mine has just shattered the memory of every other kiss we've ever shared. Okay, yeah, definitely shouldn't have gone down this road, because I suddenly have the feeling that EVERYTHING is about to change.

The mother of the two teenage girls sitting behind us suddenly clears her throat, and the sound, even heard over the loud music, is like cold water being thrown on us. I utter a tiny moan as Tommy pulls away, his eyes dark like I've only seen a few times before, the last time being a few weeks ago in the guestroom bed three thousand miles away.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I…I just wanted to say thank you, for cheering me up."

Okay, breathing is a necessity here. Besides, this is Tommy, kissing him is like kissing my brother. Or it was until about ten seconds ago when his lips all but made love to mine like his life depended on it. And I'm ashamed to admit I just set feminism back about 100 years with the fact that I so did not pull away from that kiss, but I really don't care. "You're welcome," I murmur, trying to wipe the incident from my mind and squeezing his hand which is now holding one of mine. It's not a big deal, friends kiss all the time. Oh how wrong I was.

--

**6:00 a.m.**

**Monday**

**March 10, 2008**

**115 West 57th Street **

**4th Fl. **

**New York City, New York**

**20 floor apartment building,**

You know what sucks about feeling things as deeply as I seem to? You can't just turn those feelings off sometimes, especially when you need to really focus on something else; which is my explanation for the fact that I haven't slept all weekend. Saturday night, after Tommy and I stopped for a late dinner out after the concert, I came home and tried to sleep. I was up yesterday morning to see a sunrise that I haven't in a really long time. Then last night, I tried to sleep, and again I found myself up at four thirty in the morning, sitting on the couch in our living room, a hot cup of green tea in my hand, cuddled under my lavender colored silk pajamas, my fluffy white robe, and the blanket that we keep on the back of the couch staring out Central Park.

I'm cranky when I don't get my sleep, and considering I have to leave for work at eight-twenty, being up nearly two and a half hours before I need to is not making me any happier at the moment. Of course, considering I've had absolutely no sleep, I think I may call in and take a personal day; I've got enough time to do so. I'm not entirely sure what's been making me sleepless the last few days, but I'm willing to bet it has something to do with mine and Tommy's date Saturday night. Or more accurately, with the fact that Tommy kissed me that night and in less than two seconds, I had feelings I hadn't had in over ten years come roaring back to life. Sucks to be me, doesn't it?

I've been sitting here so long, not only have I lost track of time, I've let me legs get all stiff and cramped. When I hear Tommy's door open and the bathroom door close, I realize it's nearly six and he's getting up for his usual Monday classes. With a long suffering sigh, I get up and head into the kitchen, contemplating the eggs and cheese in the refrigerator and the fact that he might like cheese eggs and toast for breakfast instead of cold cereal or getting something on his way to class.

Twenty minutes later, he's standing in the archway to the kitchen, tying his tie, and staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. "Sit, eat. Coffee's almost done, your breakfast is on the counter, and I even packed you a lunch," I tell him, watching him stop moving period and stare at me. He takes me somewhat by surprise by coming over and bringing his hand to my forehead.

"Alright, who are you and what have you done with Kimberly Hart? Because, seriously, the Kim I know doesn't get up and cook anyone breakfast that isn't an Apple Fritter and Starbucks related, and last I checked, I've never known her to make anyone but a child under the age of ten a sack lunch."

I don't know why, but this morning, his teasing isn't taken in kind and I feel myself snapping at him before I can even stop it. "Fine! Be a smart ass! Starve for all I care!" I hiss at him before brushing past him. I'm almost out the door when I feel the tight clench of his fingers around my right wrist.

Through a blur of tears that I have no idea where they came from, I'm being pulled backwards and turned around, so that I'm facing Tommy. Before I have time to do more than put up a token protest, I'm being pulled into his arms and against his chest, my head fitting perfectly under his chin. "I'm sorry," he murmurs softly, his hand stroking down my back. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not you," I sigh, leaning against him. He smells so damn good and his body is so warm and while I've learned to rely on myself nor feel the absolute, all consuming need to be held, I'm still a woman, and every once in a while, it's nice to feel safe in the arms of a strong, caring, familiar man. "I'm sorry for snapping."

"It's okay, I should have known something was wrong when you were no where in sight this morning when I headed for the bathroom," he gently tells me. Suddenly he's leaning back and tipping my chin up gently. "What's wrong?"

How to answer that? If I knew, I'd tell him, because as it is, it's damn hard to keep secrets from him, but I don't even know how to begin. I can tell he's seeing me struggle with how to tell him, cause his face softens just a bit; his eyes full of compassion and understanding that's making it really hard to even form a thought at the moment. "I'm just….I don't feel all that great today."

"Is it that time of the month?" he asks before he thinks which has me glaring at him.

"Why is it guys always assume it's THAT TIME OF THE MONTH when a woman just simply feels like being a bitch?" I grouch at him, causing him to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

"Force of habit?" he suggests, which only makes me glare up at him more. "Are you sick?"

"Depends on your definition of sick," I mutter, leaning against him again. "I haven't been sleeping and I don't know why."

His hands are stroking over the back of my head and down my back while he holds me close. "Okay, here's the plan. Call work, take a personal day. Get some sleep. I'll call on my way home and see what you want for dinner, okay?"

I can only sigh, because really, how do you argue with that kind of logic? Then again, it's me, and I have Insane Kim Logic, so it would be really easy to argue with that, provided I had the strength and mental capacity to give it a try. "Okay."

"Good. Now, I'm going to eat my breakfast and drink my coffee, which you so graciously provided this morning," he chuckles, making me blush. "Then I'm going to take my kick ass sack lunch to work early with me, because I have a meeting this morning. I'll call and check up on you around lunch time, provided I haven't fallen over dead from the rat poisoning that I know is in that sandwich. Okay?"

Leave it to Tommy to have me smiling despite feeling like I've been run over by a truck. "Okay. I'm going to go call work," I tell him before I lean up and peck a kiss to his cheek. "Have a good day."

Once I'm out of the kitchen, I head for my room to call work. The floor secretary answers on the third ring and I tell her I'm not coming in. With that out of the way, I decide I want a shower to wash away the grungy feeling and maybe space out for a while and not think about what's going on with my life.

In all honesty, it's not as bad as I'm making it out to be. I told myself when Tommy and I first agreed to move in together, that things would change between us, and they have. The only problem is I feel like they're starting to change far more than I had anticipated, at least on my side of the situation. I have absolutely no clue how Tommy feels about this, or if he's even feeling anything about it. I know that he feels enough that he'd have been comfortable with having sex with me when we were in California, but as life has so wonderfully reminded me, men often don't think before doing things, and him wanting to sleep with me could have been the result of something left over from when we were teenagers. Which is why sleeping with him would have been one monumental mistake, no matter how much it killed me to tell him no.

Okay, Kim, no more thinking about it. Get in the hot steamy shower, use the very expensive bath stuff your mother got for you and space out. No more thinking about Tommy until after maybe lunch.

An hour later, with the bathroom steaming, I can happily admit I haven't thought about Tommy at all. Grinning, I pick up my bottle of Victoria Secrets lotion and begin rubbing it on my legs, arms and body. I love the smell of the stuff – it's called Love Spell – and it always puts me in a slightly better mood. Aisha got me hooked on it, and for my birthday this year, Tommy fed my obsession and got me an entire basket of it – lotion, body spray, body scrub, you name it. I swear, he probably spent a hundred bucks on it, which is fine with me, I love it.

The shrill ringing of the phone has me suddenly jumping out of my skin and grumbling. Why is it I can never get through my washing routine without an interruption? Securing the towel tighter around myself, I hurry out to grab up the phone off the coffee table. "Hello?"

"Why aren't you here?" Ari starts in on me, causing me to let out a sigh of epic proportions.

"Because I'm taking a personal day," I tell her, knowing I should have called her after I called in this morning.

The tone of her voice as she asks her next question almost makes me want to buckle and tell her, but I need to figure it out in my head first. "What's wrong?"

"It's a LONG story. Suffice to say, I just need a day for me. I'm sorry I didn't call you and tell you, but things have been a little hectic and I needed time to veg."

Ari just clears her throat. "You do remember we have a meeting this morning about that new project, right?"

Damn it! I seriously think Dr. Forgetful is rubbing off on me. Oh, SCREW IT! They'll just have to do without me for the day. "Ari, if this wasn't important, I wouldn't be taking the day off, trust me. Look, take notes for me, please?"

"It's something serious, isn't it?"

"It has the potential to be, and if I don't deal with it now, it could have some nasty repercussions later. Look, I'll call you later, I promise. Right now, I need to try and sleep for a bit, okay?" I ask, hoping she'll get the hint and leave it be.

"All right. I'll talk to you later."

I hang up the phone and sigh. I know I've worried her a bit, but I really just need to be left alone right now. With a shake of my head, I head back into the bathroom to get dressed and then head into my room to try and catch a nap before I even start thinking about solving this problem.

I can't help but growl and curse beneath my breath when a few hours later, around ten thirty, my phone starts ringing off the hook yet again. With a sigh, I reach over to the nightstand and grab the extension that's sitting there. "HELLO?" I bellow, thoroughly irritated.

"Well good morning to you too, grouchy," the oh-so-familiar voice of my childhood best friend suddenly announces.

"Sorry Tri, it's been a bad morning," I mutter.

"I'll bet it has been, considering you're supposed to be at work and instead you are home," she sarcastically responds, causing me to roll my eyes. Yes Trini, state the obvious.

With a sigh, I lean back against my headboard and settle in for the conversation. "So, why are you calling me at ten thirty my time?"

"Because it's ten thirty where I'm at too," she cracks up laughing. "I'm in Orlando."

"Doing what?"

"I'm at a conference for work, and you'll never guess who I ran into yesterday."

I roll my eyes again, knowing Trini is being annoying on purpose, because I know exactly who's in Florida right now – Aisha. "Let me take a wild stab at it, could it be a former yellow wearing, bear representing ninja who's working at Sea World?"

"Oh, Aisha, yeah, her too."

Okay, now you can color me surprised, because no one else I know should be in Florida unless it's…"BILLY?"

Trini's laughing on the other end. "Yes, Billy. Actually, the three of us are out to lunch together. We were just gonna call and see if you or Tommy was home this morning. It's been a while since we talked."

Again, my childhood best friend is the queen of the understatement. "Trini, if you only knew," I tell her. "Put me on speaker."

"KIM!" Aisha's voice came blaring through the phone, which I jerked away from my head. "Hi."

"Goofball," I utter, listening to Trini and Billy crack up on the other end. "Hi."

"Greetings Kimberly."

"Hello Billy," I grin as I hear the familiar voice of my long cherished friend. Hey, next to Tommy and Jason, I've always felt safest with Billy; we did switch bodies once upon a time after all.

"So, what exactly are you doing home at ten-thirty on a Monday morning?" Aisha butted in again, making me laugh.

Oh if you only knew, Sha, if you only knew. "Not feeling that great, decided I had enough time in to take a personal day."

"I told you living with your ex-honey would do that to you," Aisha's sing-song reply has me blowing out a breath and counting to ten. I love my girl, have since she became my teammate and Putty and Tenga ass-kicking partner, but some days, I REALLY want to strangle or slap her. I guess growing up around Rocky was bound to have an affect on her at some point, I just didn't know it would make her so sarcastic.

"Sha, shut up," I tell her, knowing she'll take it in stride. We say things to each other all the time that normal friends wouldn't. That's the bliss of mine and Sha's friendship – we've been to hell and back together, we know each other inside and out, we can say things to each other that would piss off the normal person and still be able to talk to each other without a hitch in our friendship.

I'm so lost in thought I barely hear Billy's voice. "I'm sorry Billy, what did you ask?"

"Might I infer that things with Tommy are not going as smoothly as you had hoped?" he asks, making me blink as I take in his question. I can't help but feel slow for a minute, but I think it's the lack of sleep. I've learned to understand Billy speak, despite the long words. It's a skill I'm quite proud of, to be honest.

"No, Tommy and I are fine, everything's good between us, it's other, more boring stuff," I tell him, before I smack my forehead. I just said that with my two best female friends listening in, and if I know those two, they are going to pick up on my hesitation to share in a heartbeat.

"Kim, my cell phone battery only lasts so long, so I'm going to go, so you can sleep and we can finish lunch. I'll call you later, to check on you, okay?" Trini suggests, and considering the voice she's using, I know I will be grilled about this later when I'm feeling much better and she's by herself.

"Sure, I'll talk to you later. Love ya!" I call out before I quickly click the phone off. Damn it, I hate having friends who have really good intuition when it comes to me. Irritated, and now suddenly hungry, I toss the phone on the bed and get up, heading for the kitchen and food.

Just talking to three of my former teammates and childhood best friends just smacks home the fact that I am going down a road I never thought I'd find myself on again. I've said it before; I love Tommy and he loves me, but not the way we use to. At least, I didn't think it was the way I use to until this weekend. Damn concert, damn him for asking to sleep with me, damn my conscience.

I thought I was over all of this, I really did, but maybe, maybe I'm not. Hell, maybe I should just shag his brains out and get over it. Oh yeah, I'm definitely turning into a man, because no self respecting woman I know would have just thought that. Then again, this is Tommy we're talking about, and Tommy is HOT, all capital letters; I'll be the first to admit that, but still, he's Tommy; slightly forgetful, has a bit too much ego, but also incredibly sweet and caring when he wants to be.

As I slam the condiments for my sandwich around on the counter, I realize how far out of hand this has gotten. I'm not going to be able to figure this out in one afternoon, and I should have known better than to think I could. With a huge ass sigh I'm sure was heard all the way in China, I grab my sandwich and go stand in front of our windows, staring out at Central Park. Taking a bite, I realize just how much of a pickle I'm in now in regards to Tommy, and for once, I'm not liking the taste of it.

----

(Closing credits roll while voice over previewing the next episode  
begins)

'Next on The Glory Days.' Kim, Tommy, and a visiting Katherine hit NYC'S nightlife... but who's going home with whom when the party's over? Definitive answers are finally given in the worlds most complicated and controversial triangle in the next episode.

**Suggested listening music for Episode 4**

**It's My Life – Bon Jovi **

**Here – Rascal Flatts **

**Better Now – Rascal Flatts **

**God Bless The Broken Road – Rascal Flatts**


	5. Episode 5

**Title: "The Glory Days"**

**Chapter 5/10**

**Written by: Shawn**

**Summary: Kim, Tommy, and a visiting Katherine hit NYC's nightlife... but who's going home with whom when the party's over? Later, the original Pink Ranger and her worthy successor debate the merits of loving the same complicated man.**

**Category: Drama/Romance**

**Rating: M. Adult language, adult situations, and sexual encounters. Chapters containing sex scenes will be marked accordingly.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the PR universe. If I did I'd be living in a mansion.**

**Timeline: Everything up to the end of Dino Thunder is canon. Kim's background post-"Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" is all my creation. This story is set in January 2008.**

**Email: Notes: This is being written in Kim's POV, thus it is Kim-centric with a heavy emphasis on other characters and relationships as well.**

**Author's Notes 1: Sit back, relax, and pretend you're about to watch a new television show airing its series premier. Oh yeah, it's on cable. It's featuring characters you grew up with and some new ones I hope you grow to love. None of them are perfect, so don't expect cookie-cutter characters who always say, act, think, and react in a Brady Bunch sort of way. They're human and that's why we love them.**

**Author's Notes 2: All details as to the how and why things are the way they are will be expiated in the story. Trust me, answers are coming.**

**Authors Notes 3: No chapter in this series will feature more than two scenes in order to make it easier to update more frequently. Also you might see other PR authors dip into this little universe from time to time writing their own chapters. I know how and when certain things will happen, but there is no definitive end to this series. It's ongoing until... well, until.**

**Authors Notes 4: TK fans... it's gonna be a slow burn. But you know me 'wink'.**

**Authors Notes 5: Expect in the near future for me to allow other PR authors a chance to write chapters in this ongoing universe. I have three lined up so far and there may be more, so we'll see. At some point I might start taking applications if anyone wants to try their hand.**

**Authors Notes 6: Most chapters in this series will contain only 2 scenes, but this one requires three. Other's may as well.**

**Beta Read by: The most amazing, beautiful, captivating, woman in the world. My fiancé, Gina.**

* * *

**"Pains of love be sweeter far**

**than any other pleasures are."**

**-- John Dryden**

**"Romantic love is a passionate spiritual-emotional-sexual attachment between a man and a woman that reflects a high regard for the value of each other's person."**

**-- Nathaniel Branden**

**"There is no greater glory than love, nor any greater punishment than jealousy."**

**-- Lope de Vega**

* * *

**Episode 5 "The Crane, the Falcon, and the Kat"**

**An unseen announcer speaks over the end of the credits for the previous program. "Up next, 'The Glory Days'."**

**(Voice over begins with the show's theme song, Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" playing in the background.)**

"Once upon a time there was a little girl growing up in sunny California who wanted a typical life." (Footage of a little girl with curly brown hair chasing an older brother who's stealing her Barbie dolls, then kicking him hard in the balls when she catches him.) "She entertained dreams of being the worlds greatest gymnast." (Footage of the young girl, about ten years old now, racing doing jumps and flips under her father's instruction in the backyard of a nice house.) "She was blessed with the best friends a girl could ever want." (Footage of the young girl, a boy with sandy blond hair, two others with dark hair, and a pretty Asian girl-all smiling bright for the camera.) "Like I said, she wanted what she got, a typical life. That was until high school and the monumental occasion that opened a brave new world: her first gymnastics competition." (Footage of the teenage girl preparing for her first meet, looking nervous but determined..) "Her first true love." (Standing with her best friend, the girl catches sight of a handsome boy practicing during a martial arts tournament. He takes her breath away.) "And the absolute most shocking experience of her young life." (Black and white footage with the words "TOP SECRET" scrolling across the bottom of the screen...a Pink Ranger battling alongside her teammates...flying Zords...fighting against and then along side a Green Ranger...gazing lovingly at the white-clad martial artist.)

"Then her typical life turned upside down when her parents divorced." (Shots of the girl seated on a couch during a heart-wrenching talk with her parents, then a tearful goodbye at an airport with her mother and another man.) "An opportunity of a lifetime that would separate her from her friends and her boyfriend." (Images of Coach Schmidt, the girl addressing her fellow Rangers, walking with Tommy along the shore, then transferring her powers to a tall blond girl.) "As one door closed, another opened to a new adventure that sent her places she never expected to go." (Fast-moving images of a girl getting off a plane in Florida...training hard...sitting in classes...talking on the phone to her boyfriend...preparing for the international gymnastics competition...meeting with the press...an introduction to a new male friend...a deeply powerful kiss with the new guy under moonlight...sobbing while writing a letter...more training...the Pan Global games...breaking up with the new guy...getting her first apartment...a tense meeting with her ex-boyfriend after a trip back home...the two of them finally making peace at a funeral for a dear friend...finishing college with honors.) "The next phase in her already amazing life came in the form of a great job opportunity in New York, NY." (Shots of her stepping off another plane, of gazing out the window of a taxi at the Big Apple while smiling brightly.) "As it often does when you least expect it, her life began to take many new twists and turns." (Meeting some guys at the office...them practicing together in a band...performing on stage again for the first time in years.) "And most astonishing of all, a one-in-a-million chance encounter with the man of her... with someone very special." (Shocked expressions on an older Tommy and Kim's face at a apartment showing, both worrying over not being able to pay the rent individually, an idea struck up over coffee, arguing over moving in and who's stuff goes where, accidental awkward moments in the bathroom, an almost-kiss in the rain.) "She wanted a typical life and yet lived anything but. Angel Grove was chapter one." (Footage of Angel Grove High and the Power Rangers Command Center.) "Florida was chapter 2." (Footage of Coach Schmidt's training compound, the girl's dorm room, and the beach.) "New York is the latest chapter." (Daytime skyline flyover of the big city followed by the grown woman walking the streets of NY, looking sharp, her shoulder length brown hair blowing in the wind, determined and focused on the life ahead of her.) (On-screen credits read 'Created and written by Shawn'.) "That young girl who wanted a typical life grew up to be me. My name is Kimberly Ann Hart and this is my story. The Glory Days of my life."

* * *

**The Sinful**

**Upper Balcony**

**Table in the back**

**Central Park South/6 Ave**

**Friday, April 7, 11:35 PM 2008**

**New York City, NY**

"There is no debating this ancient rule," I elegantly pointed out to my amused audience of two while pouring the chest-hair-growing power of Wild Turkey 101 bourbon whiskey into their shot

glasses. "Whoever pays for the shots makes the first toast!"

Tommy flashed me a devastating smile. "Who came up with that rule?"

"Jesus." I replied in his snickering face. Kat tells me I'm going straight to hell. "Not before I make this toast, Pinky Two."

"Okay, Pinky One." Katherine, bless her lovely heart and fifty-bucks-lighter purse (thanks to me), offered no more debate. "It's tradition, so go ahead. But hurry up already! I expected to be half drunk by now. I'm almost disappointed in your partying abilities."

I offer the woman who stole my ex-honey's virginity the middle finger, which she returned in kind. Raising my shot glass, I note Tommy's daring smirk. He obviously doesn't expect a lightweight like me to last long in this game with the likes of him. "You got something you want to say, Mr. Oliver?"

He had the nerve to clink his glass against mine, with Kat hanging over his shoulder like a second skin. "It's a good thing you're knee high to a grasshopper and weigh just as much. It'll be easier for me to carry your soon-to-be unconscious body out of here."

My inner pit-bull growls at the nerve of that swine. "Aside from the fact that you'll use any excuse to carry me to bed," I taunted him seductively while Kat observed us with a most interested expression, "it'll be the first Pink Ranger who'll be hauling your forgetful butt out of here at the end of the night."

"We'll see. Now toast!"

Before I could say a word, Tommy gave a lazy lick of his lips, kinda leaving me silently spellbound for a moment. Kat caught it too, and I could tell she was just as enchanted from the way she was nibbling at her bottom lip. Our former leader's looking entirely too damn good tonight in that black Polo shirt.

We've got this stylish ruby-red couch set back in the corner of the bar all to ourselves. Tommy sits between Kat and I like some high-class pimp. Lifting my shot glass a second time, I might as well toast the past to start off. "To surviving the Pink and White spandex era!" I called out, eliciting smiles all around. "May it never return." I pointed a stare at Tommy, alluding to his many ventures back into the Ranger life.

"Amen," Kat added with a teasing swat to the back of Tommy's head. "One, two..."

We all chanted "THREE!" and then knocked back our shots. Damn, that's strong. And I mean kick ass strong! But I hide my reaction well. Everyone's got their poker face firmly in place. I won't let Kat or Tommy win no matter what. If I start seeing three of them, then so be it. I promise myself I'm gonna drink them under the table tonight.

It's not often that any of the former Rangers get a visit from the very busy lead choreographer of the London-based highly acclaimed "Judgment of Paris" ballet performance. Katherine's first American show opened at the New York Theater tonight and it was fantastic. Tommy and I were so excited for her and when she took a bow at the end of the show with her performers we cheered the loudest right from the front row. Zack was out of town this week, but he and the rest of the gang called Kat one after the other as soon as the show was over. It was an amazing performance and now we're celebrating with a night on the town.

"Okay, I'll go next." Katherine poured the second round of shots before raising her glass. Damn, she was striking. Her new short blond cut framed her face perfectly. She was beautiful in that sickeningly effortless way that was so rare these days. Blessed with the kind of gorgeous, long legs I'd kill for and baby blue eyes men can't seem to resist. Tommy has sure noticed tonight. And I've noticed that. "I'd like to toast the stylish Pink Ranger skirt. It was fashionable, chic, understated, and yet tasteful at a time when comic book and movie female superhero clothing was meant to make us look like cheap hookers."

"Here, here," I had to add. "At least everyone knew we were girls. Trini and Aisha have some horror stories for you when we used to do those personal appearances. They were always mistaken for men, even with 'Sha's curves."

"I certainly noticed they were girls," Tommy flirted. When met with two pairs of poisonous daggers, he added "uh…and you guys, too," then gave us a wink that was far more silly than sexy. "Countdown… one, two..."

"THREE!" Another shot down. I'm feeling no pain already. We're laughing and having a ball. Speaking of balls, I whipped Katherine at pool two out of three games earlier. She anted up fifty bucks as per our bet while Tommy circled us, no doubt enjoying the view every time we bent over. I hate that he beat me next, but all I lost was dish washing duties for the next week. No big deal. Afterwards we hit the dance floor until drinks we needed liquid libations.

Katherine was the one who suggested doing shots. Since I beat her in pool I earned the right to pay for them. Tommy was game for showing us who was boss and that only spiked my compulsive need to put him in his place. I just hope I can back up my bold words before I end up worshiping the porcelain God in a few hours.

My ears perked up when one of my absolute favorite songs, "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon 5, came on. The place is packed tonight and I love the energetic atmosphere and good-looking crowd. I'm with two of my best friends and despite our slightly complicated past, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. "You're next, Tommy."

When his lips curled into a wicked smile, I just knew he was up to something. He poured the third round of shots and then raised his glass high. I can tell he's in a playful mood tonight. "To the Pink Rangers who could never get enough of me." He knocked back his shot while Kat and I stared appalled at his ego.

"Yeah, we could never get enough of you so much that we both dumped you," Kat threw the past in his face with no small amount of satisfaction. He shrugged, grinning at her, leaning in just a little too close. "I dumped you twice." She held up two fingers. He pretended to bite at them. She held his lingering gaze longer than I cared for.

"And I wrote you a Dear Tommy letter." Turning his head, he glared at me that very instant. Oh no, I brought up the accursed letter. He's clearly annoyed. Mission accomplished. "Next time I end things between us, if I was ever dumb enough to let us start up again, I'm gonna stick a Post-It on your car." Kat giggled at that one. "Then I'm gonna dump you with a spam email. And I'm going to send it to all three of your accounts." Kat's laughing even harder now. "Then I'm going to text message you with something like 'it was nice while it lasted'." Kat's flat out dying next to him. "I might even hire a pilot to fly a banner over your job that says 'I'm just not that into you'."

"You think you're so funny," he fired as a retort, trying his best not to let me know how entertained he was.

"I could hire a Mexican salsa band to write a song about me dumping you. They could serenade you outside your bedroom window."

"Enough, Beautiful."

It was Kat's turn to roll her eyes this time. But was it over an old nickname or the fact that she could see Tommy flirting with me? And is it wrong for me to hope it's the latter? Yeah, there's some seriously bitchy chemistry going on tonight and the shots are only loosening our tongues even more. Nothing was off the table tonight.

I pour our fourth round, enjoying the pleasant buzz that's kicking in already. My glass is raised. "To Katherine's show tonight. It was wonderful."

"Absolutely," Tommy chimed in. Katherine, ever the humble person, accepted the toast with no more than an appreciative smile. "One, two..."

"Three!"

And we continue our journey on the road to Drunkenville.

Out of the corner of my eye, I found Tommy leaning back in his chair appearing just a little too pleased with himself. Then I noticed a small table of guys across the way staring at us. Oh, I get it. Guy envy. The former Rainbow Bright Ranger is enjoying being seen out with two very hot women. Kat causes a commotion wherever she goes and looks-wise, I'm on my A game tonight. My dear best friend is sitting between us no doubt soaking in the other guy's jealousy. I just have to knock him off that perch.

Leaning over to reach his ear, I declared, "If only those guys knew the only pussy you're getting tonight is if you open that e-mail your mom sent with pictures of her new kitten." I'm evil. I know it. And I like it.

What I don't like is the way his eyes narrowed minus any anger, almost as if I'm not in on a secret everyone else knows. His silence spoke volumes, while Katherine downed another shot rather than offer any comment to back me up. I don't want to assume anything here, but I'm nobody's fool. I know all too well how they are with each other. I just wish I could muster the will not to care.

Fuck...

"So, Kim?" When I look Katherine's way, she filling up our glasses again. I shake myself free of the Green-Eyed monster when I hear her voice. "Tell me more about Jacks? I've heard some very good things about him from Aisha and Trini. It's time to spill, one Pink Ranger to another."

I shouldn't revel in the tense tick of Tommy's jaw or the way he focused his attention elsewhere, but I do. And as badly as I wanted to avoid any games here tonight, I can sense that with the three of us it's just not possible. There's a possessiveness, a shared past love, and a passion permanently and irreversibly linking us together. Strange doesn't begin to describe it. "Jacks is just what I call him. His real name is Jack Carlson. He's an attorney with Wickman and Associates in Manhattan. He's tall, handsome, and has a pair of green eyes a girl could drown in and die happy. He loves sports and actually follows gymnastics because his younger sister used to compete in college. I was very impressed with how much he knew about it. And he's got a great sense of humor, too."

"Can we get on to the next toast or what?" The tension in Tommy's voice was so thick that you could choke on it. While trying to hide my satisfaction at his reaction, I found myself deeply involved in Kat's scrutiny of her ex. She's no fool and is obviously curious as to what's been going on between Tommy and I that the mere mention of another man's name would cause him to react this way. As a matter of fact, I, myself, am just as curious about the status of my relationship with Tommy as Kat, so I decide to pay closer attention to his every move as Pinky 2 drills me for information.

"Tommy, hush," Kat gently ordered before gracing me with a smile. "I want more details. Gossip is the lifeblood of former female Ranger's conversations. I want a full update."

The former White Ranger downed his shot with no toast at all. Let it burn, Tommy. Let it burn. And I'm not talking about the alcohol. "Jacks has made me dinner twice in the last two weeks. We're pretty casual and still in the 'getting to know each other' phase, but so far so good. I'm not hearing wedding bells or anything like that, but he's nice."

Kat seems as genuinely pleased that I found someone nice, as any good friend would be. I doubt her obvious delight is for any other reason. She's always been a very sincere person, but she's also human. Now, while I did tell her the real, honest truth about Jacks and I, I also left the door wide open for her to bang Tommy's brains out tonight if they're so inclined. But that's really not my business. I just wish I didn't care.

"I want a picture just as soon as you can send me one, okay?" I nod and then she raises her shot glass. I raise mine in kind. "To new beginnings!" A none-too-polite nudge forces Tommy to pour himself another shot. He begrudgingly complies, the jerk. How could he have the nerve to act jealous while knowing damn well what he plans on doing tonight with Kat? "Countdown. One, two..."

"THREE!" The shots are going down easier, but I'm also starting to feel like the lightweight Tommy knew I would be. So when I see Kat giggling and pointing at total strangers walking by, I knew the traditional drunken girly game of 'Make fun of everyone else's clothes, hair, makeup, and dance moves' has begun. It's a matter of biological fact that women are physiologically compelled to do that when we are truly and completely sloshed, much like we are right now. Tough-guy Tommy's trying to fight it, but the slightest slur to his speech betrays his claim that he's not at all affected by the booze.

"So, Kim, has he made you breakfast yet?" Katherine just had to ask.

Talk about throwing fuel on a fire! Is she fishing for a reaction or simply greedy for girly-gossip? Either way, I think I'll go with the truth. "No, not yet. We'll see if things get that far." I swear Tommy just exhaled a breath he didn't even know he was holding and Kat seemed to notice as well. "But Tommy had someone make him breakfast a couple of weeks ago."

Katherine's eyes widened with surprise and mirth. She poked Tommy in the side, which made him laugh 'cause he's ticklish there. Sometimes I have to remind myself, despite how it grates on my heart, that she knows him every bit as well as I do. Grudgingly, I also remind myself that if we're talking about knowing him in the biblical sense, she really, really knows him. "Are you cheating on us? Confess! It's good for the soul."

"Cheating?" he chuckled, giving us both a look. "I can't cheat on women I haven't dated for years, who both dumped me anyway!"

"Don't forget, Tommy, I dumped you twice!" That got Katherine the big brown eyes of death from the Crayola Ranger.

"I owe neither of you anything!" was all he could say in retort. Sometimes it's better to gracefully accept you've been beat.

"LIAR!" Kat and I shouted almost at the same time, further underscoring our connection through this man. We can't help but to laugh and toast another shot. Okay, I think there might be multiple Kats and Tommies now. And why do I find the table cloth pattern funny all of a sudden?

"And I'm sure, my dear Pink Ranger Two, you haven't exactly been the virginal Saint Katherine of London," Tommy laid it all out for her to deny, which she didn't. All of us are grinning evilly, as sex talk and liquor go hand in hand. "Confess!"

Pleasantly flustered, Katherine gave a wave of her hand. "I don't kiss and tell."

I want to tease her some more, but an immature part of me doesn't want to see if Tommy would seem jealous by anything she admits to. "Leave the girl alone, Tommy. Remember what Kat said, you're the only cheater here." As soon as the words fly out of my mouth I instantly regret it. Open mouth, insert foot. Tommy's snort said it all.

Surprisingly enough to my utter shock, Tommy's reply was, "You're not." And that's when I catch a flicker of darkness shadow Katherine's eyes. She didn't look pained, more like…guilty. So it wasn't Tommy who did the deed. I never knew that about them. "But I've long since forgiven you both." He followed that up with a laugh. "And the more I drink, the easier it is to forgive."

Brushing aside the past, Katherine poured another round of shots as the night slipped away from us. She lifted her glass and toasted seriously this time, to forgiveness and love, even if it makes life

too complicated." Good toast. We knock back our shots minus the countdown. That's OK, we probably couldn't count to three at this point anyway.

The soft rhythm of a love song comes on. I think it's something romantic and sexy by Maxwell that I can't seem to remember the name of. Hell, I can barely remember my name right now, but I can tell Katherine and Tommy know this song. The private gaze they share that makes me wonder if they've made love to this song, and it again dawns on me that this woman knows him in a way I don't. It would be easy to not care if the only thing bothering me was that she was his next girlfriend after I dumped him, but it's more than that. I'd have to be an idiot to still be carrying that kind of childish resentment around.

Tommy and Kat dated on and off for years through college and some years after. Now with the closeness Tommy and I have rediscovered since moving in together, I hate that part of me wants to be number one in his life, even if I'm not the woman in his life. Even If I'll never be.

But at least Katherine isn't either.

The song comes and goes with nothing said between us. The whiskey shots have fortified my courage and removed any verbal restraints I'd normally have. That's probably not a good thing. "So why aren't you two married?" I ask out of the blue while pouring another round of shots. Clearly surprised, Katherine fixed her eyes on a suddenly quiet Tommy, who held her gaze, then sought mine. He's clearly not sure how to answer that.

"Why aren't you and Tommy dating now?" Kat wasted no time turning my question back on me, and seemed amused at Tommy's nervous reaction. I think she could tell something's been up with us. I can't help but to duck my head, not trusting how I would answer with all this alcohol in my system.

So I say the first thing that comes to mind. "I asked you first."

"But...I'm taller."

"Don't make me hit you with this bottle," I warned while laughing with her. Even Tommy couldn't let that go by without a chuckle. "Spill."

Stretching her long legs out under the table, Katherine shifted in her seat. I swear the wealth of emotions swirling in her eyes is stunning. "Commitment phobia, my infidelity, and distance finally ended things between us. We had a good run, though," she sighed as the memories of what had been came to mind. I know the feeling well. "But we still love each other. I think for us it's just better to enjoy what we have as close friends."

"With benefits?" I somehow had the nerve to ask and wish I hadn't.

"Occasionally... when the mood strikes," was her only cheeky reply. We silently spar in that competitive way women do from time to time, and then it's over as quickly as it began. "Now it's your turn."

Uh-oh.

"Why aren't you dating Tommy now? And don't tell me you don't love each other. Remember, I'm taller than you and can smell the truth."

I'm suddenly laughing so hard. "That makes no sense at all and fuck you very much." Tommy's cracking up beside me, still holding onto his silence as this intimate conversation about his personal life unfolds before him as if he weren't even there. "Tommy and I are very complicated."

"But you love him?" This time it was her turn to ask a question she may have wanted to take back.

"...sometimes." Mr. Oliver didn't seem too pleased with that answer. He's staring me down, waiting for me to amend it. Jerk. Stop looking so handsome! And while you're at it stop making me want you. "Yes, I love him...when he's not pissing me off."

"I swear I'd be the happiest man in the world if you two would just merge into my perfect woman." Following his very interesting and alcohol-induced outburst, Tommy slowly raised his shot glass. His voice carried an emotionally truthful tone. "To Kim and Katherine, the most amazing women in the world and the two loves of my life."

While I'm sure both of us wanted to be the sole love of his life, it doesn't matter tonight. Kat and I clinked glasses and then downed our shots with Tommy. Afterwards I can't let his comment go without commentary of my own. "Kat, he's dying for a threesome with us. Should we put him out of his misery?"

Clearly up for messing with our former boy toy, Kat starting writing on a small napkin and then passed it to me. It read: "I.O.U for a threesome sometime in the next ten years beginning in 2008." Kat signed her name and then I quickly signed mine for the hell of it 'cause I'm outrageously drunk and even that might be an understatement. I sat up straight and handed the napkin to Tommy.

His eyes bugged out a bit and then he gave us both an inspired smirk. "Don't think I won't redeem this someday. I'm gonna keep this and put it right next to the letter you sent me."

Like he still has it, the jerk. "Oh shut up."

Katherine stood from her seat and stretched her arms out, enjoying the pull of muscle. "Guys, as much fun as this has been I'm ready to call it a night before I pass out. I'm going to the ladies room and then it's bed time for me."

"I'll see you to your hotel," Tommy added before I could say a word. Kat gave a small nod, appreciating the sentiment. I know the real deal here, but whatever. I'll take my cab home alone while they take theirs to her luxury hotel to... Dammit! Stop Kim! Whatever they do or don't do isn't any of your business. He's not yours. Not really.

But he should be.

I think.

I'm so damn blitzed from all those shots it's only when I hear Tommy's voice that the fog clears from my mind.

"I'm just being a gentleman, Kim."

Gentleman my ass. When I turn to face him, he's staring straight ahead. "If that were true you'd be looking me in the eyes."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not stupid, Tommy. There's one reason and one reason only why you're seeing Katherine to her hotel. And it sure as hell isn't because you're worried a twenty-eight year old woman can't find her way to her room."

He twisted his body in my direction, invading my personal space. The tension between us burned that very second "Why does it matter to you?"

"It doesn't!" I snapped at him.

"Liar," he accused me right back.

"No, you just want me to care." Damn you! You make me so angry sometimes I want to slap the taste out your mouth. "You want me seething with jealousy like some lovesick teenager." His expression hardened while something thrilling swirled in my belly. "You want me sitting here with tears in my eyes wishing you'd go home with me instead of her."

"No, I don't want you to cry about it, and I'm not looking for your permission."

"You sure didn't ask for it the last time you boned that bimbo."

An angry shadow fell over his face. "She wasn't a bimbo."

"No..." I'm practically snarling at him. "She was exercise."

"And how will Jacks be any different?" I can't believe he had the nerve to say that. "We both know why you're so into him now."

"Care to enlighten me with your psychic abilities?"

Tommy moved in so close the warmth of his breath fanned my cheeks. His low, husky voice railed on me, "Deep down, you're afraid of what you really want, so you're throwing yourself into another dead-end relationship to hide. You'll get tired of him just like all the rest. For now, he's safe."

I either want to cry or punch him. "How dare you judge my personal life?"

"You're an emotional coward," he fucking dared to say.

I've never been so angry or aroused in my entire life. "You have five seconds to take that back."

"I won't. Just like you won't take what you really want."

I finally do with such desperate need, eating his hot mouth with the most sinfully seductive kiss I've ever given a man. I'm drunk, anxious, and turned on beyond words, clutching my arms around his neck while he's sucking on my tongue so hungrily I'm afraid I'm about to come. I swear to God I'm so close to cumming it's scary. I'm kissing him so deeply my heart aches, savoring the sweet taste of his passion. Fuck, I just can't stop kissing him, swirling my tongue around his, both of us moaning out of control. My clit is throbbing, so ready for the wild and hard lovemaking I'm dying to have with this man.

We're so drunk off the shots and each other our hands are everywhere at once, suckling lips, coasting mouths, loud shameless kissing I'm so addicted to I want to fuck him right here and now.

It's with a sigh of the deepest resignation that I release his mouth, but not my hold around his neck. "Am I still a coward?" His flushed smile left me breathless. "Or do you need a minute for the blood to rise back up to your brain to convey a coherent thought?"

"I thought you were a singer, not a comedian?"

Moving away from him, I'm on my feet staring in his warm brown eyes. "Tell Kat goodnight for me and that I'll see her again before she leaves. I'm going home."

He's watching my every move, trying to gauge what that kiss meant. "Where do you want me to go?"

Inspiration strikes at the most interesting times. While slowly backing away from the table, I'm somehow compelled to say, "Follow your heart."

Not paying attention to anything after that, I'm outside and in a cab on my way home before I even realize it.

Dear God what have I done now?

* * *

**The rooftop**

**115 West 57th Street**

**Saturday, April 8, 3:00 AM 2008**

**New York City, NY**

Tommy never came home.

While clutching my arms around myself tighter to ward off a windy chill, I can't say that I'm surprised. I was born at night, but not last night.

He's probably fucking Katherine right now.

Crude, yeah, I know. I can't help but to see it that way. Dropping the F-bomb helps me deal by imagining a hard and fast encounter minus the timeless, romantic lovemaking I don't ever want to think about them enjoying. I can't stand the carnal images crawling around my head, breaking my heart a minute at a time. Those same images that have erased my ability to sleep and left me so restless I'm standing outside alone on my roof at 3:00 AM in the fucking morning all by myself.

The city has never looked so lonely. And I've never felt so lonely, either.

At least my new beige coat looks great on me. It's providing all the warmth I'm going to feel tonight as there are no strong arms wrapped around me. There are no soft words being whispered in my ear to make me smile or want to roll over and satisfy... I'm thinking too much. I can't seem to get my brain to shut down long enough for me to relax. I want that passionate kiss I gave Tommy back. I wish I never knew the pleasure of having my tongue in his mouth while raking my fingers through his hair. I want to stop thinking about him. I want him out of my system for good!

But he just won't go.

My heart's holding on too tight.

It sucks to be me. I've got a nagging headache, a mild hangover, and I'm so angry and sad at the same time I could scream. I haven't yet, but I still might. My feelings don't make sense to me. Lord knows I gave Tommy all sorts of mixed signals tonight. Sure, I could blame the kiss on the drinking, but deep down I'm so conflicted over wanting him versus wanting him to want me while still remaining single. It's like I want to be able to date and live my life how I want to, but I don't want him to do that. And of course that makes no sense and is so unfair.

Whatever. I'm a woman. Unfair has been our battle cry since time began.

I shouldn't give a damn where Tommy is or who he's with. I've got a great guy. A really hot guy who is very into me and if I called him right now at this late hour, he'd invite me to his place, and his bed, in a heartbeat. I don't have to be standing out on this stupid rooftop all by myself like some lovesick spinster on the verge of crying when I could be getting some, too.

And I need some soooooooo bad. It's been like forever. A woman shouldn't go as long as I have without being touched that way, even if it's just safe recreation with a nice guy you've gone out with a couple of times. Yep, I'm justifying casual sex. Men justify needing sex as easily as needing to breathe. Well, it might not be right or politically correct, but I'm a normal woman who needs to feel alive every once in a while. A career, a great family, and some really good friends aren't all I want out of life.

But here I am, gazing out over the wonder and majesty of New York City all by my lonesome. My pity party is rocking and rolling. I can't sleep because every time I close my eyes I swear I can hear Tommy and Katherine laughing in bed. I can see them making love and it just burns me up inside. I don't want to care! I don't need this shit! I'm a mature, grown, beautiful woman with a great career and I don't need to drive myself crazy over what any man is doing!

Fuck!

The sight of my eight-hundred dollar iPhone hitting the pavement below after I threw it off the roof only underscored how bad a place I'm in tonight. Even more than being jealous, I'm pissed off at myself. If I wanted Tommy I could have him. I know that. I feel that. I just haven't and I'm still not sure why. Yes, I need and value his friendship. Our bond is one of the most important things in my life. We're best friends.

But he and Kat are lovers.

And I can't stand it.

Truth be told, if Tommy had come home tonight we wouldn't have had sex. I would probably have made us coffee and we'd end up curled on the couch watching a old black and white movie before the long work week caught up with us and we fell asleep. Maybe my head would be nestled up on his shoulder. Maybe he'd kiss my forehead like he does sometimes that I like so much. Maybe he'd whisper that he loves me. I know he does.

The feeling is mutual.

But is that it?

Am I in love with Tommy?

That answer is so complicated. Yes doesn't do it justice, and no just doesn't feel totally honest, even if in a way it is.

Now I wish I had something else to throw, and that makes me smile in a weirdly Insane-Kim sort of way. If I want the man in my life then I need to stop playing games. And if I don't, I need to get on with my life. I certainly did when I went to Florida and every second of every day after that. Nothing about how I feel now is because of what Tommy and I shared in high school. It was much more than a fling then, but we were so young and inexperienced in just about everything.

The here and now has us in this strangely wonderful relationship. I'm happily unmarried to him. What does that really mean? He's mine, but we don't have sex. I can date and so can he, but no falling in love with other people or each other allowed. We share meals and dish washing duties, but not beds and showers. We don't say we need each other, but we do. Dearly so.

Good 'ole Insane-Kim logic.

Now that logic is biting me in the backside. This has got to be one of the most stupid, immature things I have ever done. Who in their right mind stands outside on a rooftop at 3 a.m. all alone and worrying over what your ex-boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend might be doing? I do, apparently. I'm an emotional mess tonight and could probably use another drink…of hot chocolate.

Hey, who said that? Oh, hi subconscious. Hot chocolate it is.

Katherine's leaving tomorrow night and I haven't had near enough one-on-one girl time with her to talk and catch up on all the exciting things going on in her life. I adore her. I truly do. She's so sweet her DNA must be made of cookie dough. And contrary to even some of our friend's beliefs, we've never had words over Tommy. Not once. We each had and have our own relationship with him. It's just that both of us, for reasons personal only to us, want to be number one to him, even if we're not with him.

It's our private competition and it'll last a lifetime.

I'm having one heck of a dramatic hangover.

Okay, alright, it's hot chocolate and a good movie time. If I can't sleep, I'm not going to stand out here whining and complaining to myself all night. I'm gonna walk right back inside to my apartment and...Oh what the hell? Come on! Give me a break already!

It's raining!

Hard!

April showers bring May flowers, but right now I'm being soaked to the bones. Great, just great. Rain makes it perfect. And then it suddenly hits me. Something so ridiculously silly and yet so satisfyingly uplifting comes to mind that I shout at the top of my lungs, "FUCK YOU MOTHER NATURE!"

For some incredible reason, despite being drenched, I feel so much better, as if a weight has been lifted. I'm smiling in the rain and almost feel like dancing. So what if Tommy is or isn't doing whatever with Kat. I'm not going to let that ruin my night. I'm going to kick the green-eyed monster in the balls and get back inside my building before I catch a cold.

Offering a final middle finger to the sky, I'm outta here!

* * *

**The Regency Hotel**

**540 Park Avenue**

**Room# 910**

**Saturday, April 8, 3:30 PM 2008**

**New York, NY**

I have the worst luck ever with elevators, hence my current precarious predicament.

Apparently having just emerged from the hotel pool, one Mr. Very Hairy is standing behind me in only a Speedo and enough chest hair to make a bear envious. He's giving off such a fowl scent that I'm sure stealth radar could detect him from orbit. Adding insult to my nose's injury, I think he's staring at my ass and I pray to God he doesn't try to hit on me. If he does I might hurl. Heck, if I don't get off this elevator soon I might hurl anyway.

Sixth floor... I haven't committed suicide yet... seventh floor... this is just revolting... eighth floor... Did furry guy behind me air out a yet another silent but deadly...? Ninth floor at last!

Please open, please open, please open! My feet are moving double time out of the elevator away from the hairy man that smelled like hot Cheeto's and moldy bologna. God, I hate being stuck on an elevator with someone drilling holes in my nasal cavity. Thankfully, my nine-floor odor ordeal is over.

From the moment I parked until I walked inside the Regency Hotel, it's bad-ass to a whole other level. The company backing Katherine's show has her going first class all the way. I don't even want to guess what this place costs a night, but its exclusive Park Avenue location just reeks of luxury and it's so close to Midtown Manhattan that almost anything you could want to do in NY is a short cab ride away. I wish Katherine was staying longer so we could hang out more and I could show her around. Alas, she's leaving tonight. Her show's on the road touring the States, something all of her friends are so proud of, and despite last night's interesting happenings, I have to say goodbye in person. And that's the only reason I'm stopping by unannounced. Really.

It certainly has nothing to do with Tommy not coming home last night or all day today. At least not as of four hours ago when I hit the road to run some errands, stop at my bank, and pay some bills. Now I'm standing outside Kat's hotel room thinking a little too much about what I might find inside. Jealousy's burning inside me like a lit fuse I wish could blow out already. I gotta get my act together and stop mentally bitching about what some guy is doing with some girl. Especially when the guy isn't mine! What's important here is saying goodbye to a close friend and wishing her well on her tour.

But what's crazy is me worrying that she'll come to the door glowing with a post multi-orgasmic happy flush from a night of glorious shagging with the guy I'm not at all in love with, but have tons of weirdly complicated feelings for.

Yeah, I think in long run-on sentences. It's my head, so...

Moving right along, I knock twice. Kat moves light as a feather as she opens the door a moment later waving me inside without me having heard so much as one footstep. She looks utterly fantastic and happy, which makes me happy and a bit somber at the same time. I'm about to say 'hi' when she points to the phone pressed against her ear.

She gives me a big hug and then says into the phone, "Tanya, Kim just arrived. I'll talk to you later on tonight when my flight arrives in Chicago... Okay, I'll tell her you said hi...Yeah, I love you too. Give Adam and the Pookie a kiss for me. Bye."

Little Sierra Park, a.k.a 'the Pookie', is Tanya and Adam's super-fast two-year old who can go from crawling to warp speed in the blink of an eye. I haven't seen her in six months and I've got to rectify that. She the first and only Ranger baby and needs some spoiling from her Aunt Kim. "How's T doing?"

Katherine finished zipping up her make-up bag and then joined me on the living room sofa. "T's fine, just worried about the stormy weather and me flying out tonight. Adam reminded her we've flown through deadly asteroid fields and out of the range of exploding planets, so a little wind isn't that big of a deal. but we did get a ton of rain late last night."

I nod rather than admit I was drenched by it on my rooftop when I decided to find out if my iPhone could fly. As happens once in a while, my mind and mouth decide not to work as a team when I say, "I didn't think you'd notice."

Kat's smirk says it all, as she's well aware of what I had assumed took place last night. She almost looks amused. "I'm a light sleeper, Kim. I noticed."

"Yep." I replied kinda cheeky while we just sit there waiting for someone to acknowledge and then shoot the humongous elephant in the room. Where's a rifle when you need it?

"He's not here, Kim."

Time to play dumb. "Who?"

Her piercing blue eyes ripped me a new one. "Who?" Katherine repeated while her arms crossed her chest. "Santa Claus, Kim. Santa's not here." Okay, that bit of silliness broke the ice. Good. At least we're laughing now. "He left three hours ago to hit the gym. We had our goodbye."

Yeah, I bet you did. 'Sayonara sex' every which way you could. Oh shut up, Kim. That's none of your business. "I should have called before stopping by. I didn't want to interrupt anything."

Katherine shook her head. "You wouldn't have been and you never have to call me before stopping by. That's not how we are."

"I know, I know." Comprehending the value of our friendship, I almost feel like apologizing to her. Exhaling a breath I didn't realize I was holding, I'm still not sure what to say. "I wish you could stay longer. I've missed you." It's the sincere truth and her smile revealed the same.

"Me too. I love New York. It's so busy and alive. I wish I had time to check out you and Tommy's apartment."

"Maybe the next trip. You'd love it."

She pursed her lips together. "There's a lot about the Big Apple that I love."

And there goes my cynical grimace. "I'm sure Tommy's one of the reasons too."

"That applies to you as well."

She didn't ask. She just knows me that well. We vibe like this, Katherine and I. Verbally sparring just lightly enough to be competitive without it ever being mean-spirited must be a Pink Ranger thing. "Touché," I said, as there was no other appropriate reply. "I'm sorry for running off last night without saying goodbye."

Suddenly, a taunting smile curled her lips. "Yeah, after I caught you and Tommy smooching I was wondering where my goodbye kiss was," she revealed so evilly. "That was pretty hot by the way."

"I was pretty toasted at the time."

"You were inhaling his face," Katherine noted as my brain scrambled. "And Tommy didn't seem to mind one bit."

Damn right he didn't! I mean... not that it mattered... I think. "I didn't know you saw that."

"I pee really fast," she felt the need to relay, which did ease the tension. We're odd that way. "By the time I was back at the table I figured you two were competing for the World Championship of French kissing. I was almost expecting one of you to ask me to borrow a condom so you could get it on right there at the table."

"Get it on?" I laughed. "You've been watching Happy Days on Nickelodeon, haven't you?"

"No, but I've gotten it on with Tommy plenty of times to know when he's hot for some action," she replied with a witchy grin. "He was burning for you from what I could tell."

"Jealous?" I had the nerve to ask.

She held two fingers up, closely together. "A smidgen... or a lot. I'm still debating it."

I winced inwardly. "And yet he still went home with you last night, Pinky 2."

"But we didn't get it on, Pinky 1."

I didn't expect that one, not that it should have mattered to me anyway. Their relationship is theirs and it's none of my business, so why does it feel like there's a little party going on in my heart? "Um, hi?"

"Hello to you, too, Kim. I knew we'd get around to greetings eventually." We're so backwards it's funny. If Tommy never existed I'd probably be as close to Katherine as I am to 'Sha and Trini, but because of him our friendship would always carry with it a unique note. It's something I think we're still coming to grips with.

Kat gently tapped my arm, yanking me away from my inner thoughts. "So why did you kiss him last night?"

"Why didn't you sleep with him last night?"

"You first."

"Fine…I wanted to. The alcohol played a hand, and I was horny, and kinda jealous. Did I mention the alcohol? Your turn."

After a noteworthy sigh, Katherine fussed with her hair, seemingly choosing her words carefully. Interest sparkled on my face big time. "I'm seeing someone...and I've been very, very quiet about it so far."

Woah! Katherine's got a secret honey? So our little decade-long triangle becomes furthermore complicated. "Congratulations and why haven't I heard about this, at least in an email?" She offered a weak, cautious smile. Why do I suddenly feel as though I'm treading on fragile territory?

"Its very new and...its only five months old. It's still pretty casual, like you and Jacks." She then added with a slight expression of anxiety on her face. "Just less innocent, if you catch my drift."

Gotcha. You're getting laid. I can't fault that. And again, wow. I leaned over and gave Kat another hug that rips away whatever weirdness sometimes settles in between us. "I'm not happy that you've found someone because it means you're out of the Tommy race. First off, there is no Tommy race, at least not officially. And second, I want you to be happy. I really do. I think the world of you, Kat."

"Thank you," she replied. For some strange reason I couldn't grasp why she didn't look relieved. It's not that she had to tell me, but...there's more to this story. I won't pry, but I can sense something big on the horizon.

"So we're both dating someone casually, but kinda exclusively, correct?"

"Yes, I'd say that was a fair assessment."

"So do you know what that means?"

"Do tell?" she smiled.

"We not only got over Tommy years ago, but we stayed over him!"

"You just haven't been under him yet," she taunted playfully. "Which is your biggest problem, I think."

"Sleeping with Tommy won't make my year or change my life, dear Katherine."

"No, but it would put a smile on your face and end the tension between you two once and for all."

"Trust me, we've come close..."

"California, I know."

Of course she would. She's one of, if not Tommy's closest confidant. She knows things Jason doesn't know, probably even more than me, which hurts a little on some level. "If we had given in that night, it would have been for the wrong reasons."

Kat nodded her agreement. "But even still, it revealed you still both want each other."

"But we're not in love." Here's where my detective eyes search her face for even a hint that she might know otherwise from Tommy. Unfortunately for me, her Poker face kicks ass. "I know we don't need that to sleep together, but his friendship is so important to me that I don't want to complicate things and mess it up."

"Newsflash, Pinky One. Things are already complicated. Hence your impersonation of an Alien face-sucker on his mouth last night." I rolled my eyes at her snicker. "It's perfectly fine to say you're not in love with Tommy. I can say the same thing, but can you answer this one: are you sure beyond a shadow of a doubt you're not in love with him?"

"Can you?"

"Yes, but I've had years of relationship and physical intimacy with him as an adult. I know fully in my heart that I will always love and need him in some way, but we aren't meant to be together. I've made peace with that, although it took a very long time. Now you?"

It dawns on me that at this very moment, I feel like running out of here. I don't want to acknowledge any of this out loud, but I probably need too. And Katherine can in this instance understand better than

anyone else. "I'm not one hundred percent sure of how I feel about Tommy, but it's not strong enough to make me not want to date other people and see what's out there."

"That's fair enough and not something anyone could fault you for."

I blurt out without thinking, "but even when I come home from great dates I know he's there waiting for me...and I'm relieved. I know that whether the guy I'm seeing is Mr. Wonderful or Mr. Jerk, there's a guy at my house who respects me and loves me and is there for me no matter what. A guy who doesn't mind that I'm short or have strange little quirks or a slight overbite or that I walk around with face cream on in the evening. I know he doesn't mind if I shut off the TV to play my guitar in the living room. I know I can say anything to him and still have him in my corner. I know that no matter how bad I might mess up in life I can't lose him."

Kat slowly shook her head before making her keen assessment. "You are soooooooo unmarried to Tommy."

My hands cover my face, shadowing a chuckle. "I know. Believe me, I know." We're laughing again and it feels so good. "He's too handsome for his own good."

"And that body of his," Kat noted a bit too fondly. "He has no clue how hot he is and when you tell him, he doesn't get it."

"And he's sweet," I had to admit. "He's always carrying my bags and opening doors for me."

"He holds your hand in public like a gentleman is supposed to."

"And he smells good all the time."

"And he's so great in bed that when he's done you're just lying their trying to catch your breath, staring at the ceiling, thinking how lucky you are to have just gotten boned by the likes of him."

"Oh please, he can't be that good." Kat's staring holes into me with zero blinking. I swallow hard. There's only one thing to say. "Bitch."

"Takes one to know one," she smiled at the end, and then it withered away towards something eerily serious. For a moment I'm worried. "Life's so full of surprises, Kim."

"Like your new honey?" I'm prying because I care. I'll back down if she wants for the same reason. "I'd love some details if you don't mind. Can you at least tell me his name?"

Spoken softly, and with a note of mild apprehension, "Sara."

"You new guy's name is Sara?" My brows rise accordingly.

"Sara isn't a guy, Kim." My jaw just dropped. An unusual silence enveloped us for a brief moment. "Obviously, Sara is a girl's name. I'm seeing a woman."

I nod. I smile. I'm not sure how to react. I'm shocked. It's cool, but so unexpected. Then my heart tells my mouth to say something that relieves Kat of any tension she's feeling about her revelation. "So I guess this totally takes you out of the Tommy race forever?"

She's laughing so hard now. I give her time to say as much as she's comfortable with. "I'm pretty sure that I'm bisexual, Kim. I never had feelings for a woman before Sara. She's a lawyer in London I met at an after party for one of my shows. We hit it off so well, became fast friends, and then lovers. Trust me, I didn't know what was happening, only that she was touching my heart in places I never knew existed." Kat looked truly pleased to be sharing this with me. "Sara's just coming out of a long relationship, and this is my first ever with a woman. Like I said before, we're casual and free to see other people, but she's special and even if we don't last, I know in my heart I am capable of loving a woman as easily as loving a man. And the sex is so hot, you just don't know."

"I haven't known anything about hot sex in so long I might not recognize it if I saw it."

"Tommy would be more than happy to rectify that for you." Kat alluded no further, but it's obvious last night they discussed us. It's her turn not to pry any further. "What else would you like to know?"

"Who else knows, do you have a picture, and do you know that I love you and don't see you any different than I ever have before?"

She's tearing up, so I hug her again and linger. We break as she composes herself. I think our friendship has entered a new phase altogether. I truly feel close to her. "My parents know. Tommy and Tanya do as well. Justine, my good friend from college knows too. I haven't told anyone else yet, but I will someday when I have things figured out more in my head. For now I'm enjoying life and the company of someone beautiful and sexy who's wonderful to me. I'm just enjoying life."

"That's all that matters."

"That and your friendship, Kim. I love you too." When I start laughing again, she asks, "Do tell what's got you amused now, Pinky One?"

"Not only have I never slept with Tommy, but not another woman either. You just keep one-upping me, don't cha, Pinky 2?"

"If we give Tommy that threesome, we can knock out two birds with one stone."

"I don't do tall chicks."

Kat hit me with a pillow.

All was right with the world.

* * *

(**Closing credits roll while voice over previewing the next episode begins)**

**On the next epsisode of 'The Glory Days' slow, hauntingly sensual music plays, intercut with quick flashing images "A man and a woman wet under a hot showers spray... Kim confronting someone angrily... Tommy running hard down a busy city street as fast as he can, sheer terror etched on his face."**

**Suggested listening music for Episode 5:**

**_"It's My Life" – Bon Jovi_**

**_"Counting Sheep" – Amy Jo Johnson_**

**_"What If It's You" – Reba McEntire_**

**_"Like you'll never see me again" - Alicia Keys_**

**_"Haunted" – Evanescence_**

**_"In the air tonight" - Phil Collins_**

**_"Stand In The Rain" - Superchick_**

**_"Sara Smile" - Hall and Oates_**


	6. Episode 6

**Title: "The Glory Days"  
Season 1 (Episode 6 of 10)  
Written by: Shawn**

**Summary: slow, hauntingly sensual music plays, intercut with quick flashing images "A man and a woman wet under a hot showers spray... Kim confronting someone angrily... Tommy running hard down a busy city street as fast as he can, sheer terror etched on his face."**

**Category: Drama/Romance  
Rating: M. Adult language, adult situations, and sexual encounters. Chapters containing sex scenes will be marked accordingly.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the PR universe. If I did I'd be living in a mansion.**

**Timeline: Everything up to the end of Dino Thunder is canon. Kim's background post-"Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" is all my creation. This story is set in January 2008.**

**Email: Notes: This is being written in Kim's POV, thus it is Kim-centric with a heavy emphasis on other characters and relationships as well.**

**Author's Notes 1: Sit back, relax, and pretend you're about to watch a new television show airing its series premier. Oh yeah, it's on cable. It's featuring characters you grew up with and some new ones I hope you grow to love. None of them are perfect, so don't expect cookie-cutter characters who always say, act, think, and react in a Brady Bunch sort of way. They're human and that's why we love them.**

**Author's Notes 2: All details as to the how and why things are the way they are will be expiated in the story. Trust me, answers are coming.**

**Authors Notes 3: No chapter in this series will feature more than two scenes in order to make it easier to update more frequently. Also you might see other PR authors dip into this little universe from time to time writing their own chapters. I know how and when certain things will happen, but there is no definitive end to this series. It's ongoing until... well, until.**

**Authors Notes 4: TK fans... it's gonna be a slow burn. But you know me 'wink'.**

**Authors Notes 5: Expect in the near future for me to allow other PR authors a chance to write chapters in this ongoing universe. I have three lined up so far and there may be more, so we'll see. At some point I might start taking applications if anyone wants to try their hand.**

**Beta Read by: The most amazing, beautiful, captivating, woman in the world. My fiancé, Gina.**

**Authors Note: PS. Scenes 2 and 3 were beta'd by me, so if they suck its my fault, lol.**

* * *

**"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."  
Dorothy Thompson**

* * *

**Episode 6 "Crumbling Walls"**

An unseen announcer speaks over the end of the credits for the previous program. "Up next, 'The Glory Days'."

(Voice over begins with the shows theme song, Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" playing in the background.)

"Once upon a time there was a little girl growing up in sunny California who wanted a typical life." (Footage of a little girl with curly brown hair chasing an older brother who's stealing her Barbie dolls, then kicking him hard in the balls when she catches him.) "She entertained dreams of being the worlds greatest gymnast." (Footage of the young girl, about ten years old now, racing doing jumps and flips under her father's instruction in the backyard of a nice house.) "She was blessed with the best friends a girl could ever want." (Footage of the young girl, a boy with sandy blond hair, two others with dark hair, and a pretty Asian girl-all smiling bright for the camera.) "Like I said, she wanted what she got, a typical life. That was until high school and the monumental occasion that opened a brave new world: her first gymnastics competition." (Footage of the teenage girl preparing for her first meet, looking nervous but determined..) "Her first true love." (Standing with her best friend, the girl catches sight of a handsome boy practicing during a martial arts tournament. He takes her breath away.) "And the absolute most shocking experience of her young life." (Black and white footage with the words "TOP SECRET" scrolling across the bottom of the screen...a Pink Ranger battling alongside her teammates...flying Zords...fighting against and then along side a Green Ranger...gazing lovingly at the white-clad martial artist.)

"Then her typical life turned upside down when her parents divorced." (Shots of the girl seated on a couch during a heart-wrenching talk with her parents, then a tearful goodbye at an airport with her mother and another man.) "An opportunity of a lifetime that would separate her from her friends and her boyfriend." (Images of Coach Schmidt, the girl addressing her fellow Rangers, walking with Tommy along the shore, then transferring her powers to a tall blond girl.) "As one door closed, another opened to a new adventure that sent her places she never expected to go." (Fast-moving images of a girl getting off a plane in Florida...training hard...sitting in classes...talking on the phone to her boyfriend...preparing for the international gymnastics competition...meeting with the press...an introduction to a new male friend...a deeply powerful kiss with the new guy under moonlight...sobbing while writing a letter...more training...the Pan Global games...breaking up with the new guy...getting her first apartment...a tense meeting with her ex-boyfriend after a trip back home...the two of them finally making peace at a funeral for a dear friend...finishing college with honors.) "The next phase in her already amazing life came in the form of a great job opportunity in New York, NY." (Shots of her stepping off another plane, of gazing out the window of a taxi at the Big Apple while smiling brightly.) "As it often does when you least expect it, her life began to take many new twists and turns." (Meeting some guys at the office...them practicing together in a band...performing on stage again for the first time in years.) "And most astonishing of all, a one-in-a-million chance encounter with the man of her... with someone very special." (Shocked expressions on an older Tommy and Kim's face at a apartment showing, both worrying over not being able to pay the rent individually, an idea struck up over coffee, arguing over moving in and who's stuff goes where, accidental awkward moments in the bathroom, an almost-kiss in the rain.) "She wanted a typical life and yet lived anything but. Angel Grove was chapter one." (Footage of Angel Grove High and the Power Rangers Command Center.) "Florida was chapter 2." (Footage of Coach Schmidt's training compound, the girl's dorm room, and the beach.) "New York is the latest chapter." (Daytime skyline flyover of the big city followed by the grown woman walking the streets of NY, looking sharp, her shoulder length brown hair blowing in the wind, determined and focused on the life ahead of her.) (On-screen credits read 'Created and written by Shawn'.) "That young girl who wanted a typical life grew up to be me. My name is Kimberly Ann Hart and this is my story. The Glory Days of my life."

* * *

**115 West 57th Street  
Tommy and Kimberly's 4th floor apartment  
Saturday, April 8, 5:45 PM 2008  
New York City, NY**

The soft click of my front door unlocking was music to my ears.

After battling my heart most of the night, Mother Nature came back today for round two while on my way home from Katherine's hotel. We waged an unholy war through a mind-numbing traffic jam, heavy rainfall, and lightening streaking all over the sky. Nonetheless, I came out on top as I made it here without succumbing to road rage or yelling at any slow driving senior citizens.

Yay me! Kim, one. Mother Nature, one. We'll settle the score in a rubber match some other time.

Easing quietly inside the apartment, my senses are immediately overwhelmed with the mouthwatering aroma of... I'm pretty sure it's spaghetti. I catch sight of Tommy stirring something in the kitchen with a phone cradled against his ear. He hasn't noticed me yet, which makes me smile for some crazy reason. If Damien is the Omen Anti-Christ, then Tommy is the Anti-Sock, as he never wears them. He's cooking barefoot, clad in a pair of snug, faded blue jeans and a snug-fitting NYU T-shirt. He's utterly delicious looking. I can't see his face, but he never shaves on Saturday. He's probably got some stubble darkening his handsome features. I like him like that, all rumpled and sexy-relaxed.

It kinda dawns on me all of a sudden that it wasn't when I reached the parking lot, or walked inside the building, or got on our pokey elevator, or even when I walked through the front door, that I realized I was home. It's just now, watching him, that the feeling of belonging somewhere warms me all over. Melodramatic, yeah, I know. But he's here and I'm here and we're alone together. And while I may not have everything where he is concerned figured out in this zany head of mine, I do love where he fits in my life and that I get to share his.

He's closer to me than any lover I've ever had, and I've never even seen him naked. That pesky thought blushes my cheeks.

I hear Tommy say goodbye to someone and then he catches sight of me. There isn't a hint of awkwardness in his sweet, welcoming smile. Despite the talk we probably need to have he looks as pleased to see me as I do him. I'm staring openly at the way his hard muscles outline that t-shirt, while I think he's enjoying my slightly wet look. We silently appraise each other for a moment or two before I'm hanging up my coat and setting down my purse. The scent of something spicy tantalizes my rumbling stomach when I turn around.

Tommy's holding out a forkful of delicious smelling spaghetti to me, causing my stomach to rumble in anticipation. My mouth opens and then is assaulted by the amazing taste. My roommate might not be the best cook in the world, but he cooks some things very well. Spicy spaghetti is one of his best dishes and I love the hell out of it. I haven't eaten all day due to being a woman with far to much on her mind. Now I'm starved. "You better watch it, Mr. Oliver. A girl could get used to coming home to a clean apartment, a handsome straight roommate who thinks she's wonderful, and a hot dinner."

He's flashing me that gorgeous smile of his. "Wait a minute? You think that I think you're wonderful?"

"Of course you think I'm wonderful. Why else would you be spoon-feeding me the dinner you've been slaving over if not to please me?"

"Maybe I was hungry too?"

"So you performed a two-for-one deal. Good thinking." I angle my head due to his accursed height. He's waiting, so I give in. "It tastes great." When he moved closer my damn misbehaving hormones wrecked havoc with my composure. "Look, you've been sufficiently complimented. Now get back to finishing my dinner."

He shrugged off my sarcasm. "You, my dear Ms. Hart, are so lucky I find your bossy side so..."

"Endearing?" His hand brushed mine, and then his pinky finger curled around my own, tugging me with him back towards the kitchen.

"Beautiful."

I turned sixteen again that very instant, with my heart skipping a few beats before blazing at warp speed. There are just certain things in your life that touch you and always will in that strangely mysterious way that reminds you you're human. Way back in the day when we dated, his little nickname was the first time I ever truly saw myself as beautiful. And while I was young, naive, and holding on tight to my fairy tale dream of us together forever, whenever he used that word I turned to mush.

It's my emotional Achilles' Heel.

Even now tenderness welled up in my chest for him as he led me to the kitchen's island, and then before I could say a word he bent down and hooked his arms behind my knees. I was lifted up and perched on top of the island, with a clearly amused ex-super hero invading my personal space. Despite all the emotional upheaval of the last twenty-four hours, I feel a certain freedom tonight. But where that feeling will lead me is anyone's guess. "So do I get carried to bed later on?"

Using a nearby towel, he gently dried my face, and then slipped my shoes off. "Is that what you want?"

"That had better be some damn good spaghetti, if you catch my drift." As arousing as it is, and opposed as I am to this truth, I know Tommy loves me. Deeply loves me. His eyes betray... no, they're filled tonight with something he's not trying to hide. When he licked his lips my eyes closely tracked the movement. I'm hot wired into every little thing he does. "Did you miss me?"

A moment's pause... "No."

"Jerk." Smiling down at me, Tommy braced his hands on either side of my hips, while his pretty mouth is just too fucking close, temping me again. I'm sick and tired of fighting all of this unwanted need he inspires inside me.

"I tried to call you last night." A small note of worry crossed his face.

My hands dusted between us. "My cell phone thought it could fly."

Questions filled his eyes. "I get the feeling there's a funny story that goes along with that statement." His soft laughter is so intimate I can barely stand it. "Did you miss me?"

The knot in my throat thickened, killing my usual sarcasm. "I wanted you to follow me home."

His eyes narrowed, capturing my gaze. "You didn't answer the question."

"Didn't I?" We're so backwards and sideways, this relationship of ours. Sensual subterfuge, unspoken feelings, veiled statements, and rampant eye-sex best describe how we communicate. It's both exhilarating and frustrating at the same time. "So who were you talking to?"

Tommy picked up on my subtle changing of the subject. I don't think he liked it, but he's letting it go for now. He backed off, heading for the refrigerator. "Jason."

Mmm, he's got garlic bread. "How's my big brother doing?"

"Fine for the most part, but he's got a lot on his plate right now," Tommy sighed in a way that told me he knows more than he's willing to say. Men have their secrets, too. "He's in Santa Monica with his parents. He's still being quiet, but I can tell somethings wrong. I just told him whenever he wanted to talk about anything he could call me."

Tommy and Jason share a relationship deeper than brotherhood. I'm both envious and thankful for how close they are. "I'm going to try and reach him later on tonight. Usually I can guilt him into opening up. And I'm going to sic Trini on him, too."

"Sounds like a plan." Tommy's stirring and I'm appreciating the sight of his great ass. My in-house cook happens to be hot, yet another perk of having him as my roommate. His back is still to me when he asks, "How did your goodbye with Kat go?"

"About as well as yours." His smirk tries to lie to me, but I can't let him think he's getting away with anything. "I know you didn't sleep with her, so don't even try and pretend otherwise."

"I never said a word, but it's curious how you got that information." Turning off the stove, he puts a cover over the pot and then returns to me, hovering oh so close. "Was it killing you so badly that you just had to ask her?"

"Hardly," I offered in my defense. "Kat volunteered the information. Personally, I wouldn't have cared if you broke the bed making love to her in a way that was so hot it set off the fire alarms." I'm lying and he knows it, but this is how we play our game of cat and mouse. "We had a really nice, long talk. I feel like I know her so much better now. She's really amazing."

Tommy nods in agreement while searching my face for hints of whether or not I know more. "I honestly thought I'd be married to her by now. But life... you know."

I do, without saying. But if you had married her you wouldn't be here with me now. No matter the infinite possibilities the past might have held, I'm glad fate led us to this place and time. "Katherine told me about Sara."

Tommy seemed mildly surprised at best. "She's very careful about telling anyone. Not because she's ashamed, but because it's so new and personal. She must trust you a great deal."

"Maybe someone put in a good word for me."

"I told her I trust you with my life."

"But what about your heart?"

He's standing between my legs so close his warm breath fanned my face. The expression he wore was a mix of arousal and something uniquely somber. My stomach muscles contracted involuntarily. "I can't trust you with what you don't reach for."

Sarcasm tries to rise out of me, but I manage to tame it. I want to confess something to him that's poignant and meaningful. I want to not be afraid of what he makes me feel. I just want to feel like I can give my all to a man without over thinking everything and letting fear get the best of me again. I want to trust that a loving relationship can actually work. Instead of words, my pinky curls around his, connecting us once more. It's as much courage as I can muster.

My voice hovered barely above a whisper. "I don't know what to say."

Rain pounded loudly against the windows behinds us, charming the moment. Tommy's brown eyes bore down on me, searching for something elusive. "Then just stop talking."

Heat pumped through my veins the very instant his mouth covered mine, silencing any protest. I once again succumbed to his forbidden temptation, passionately kissing him back, smothering his lips with my own. My arms circled his neck, my nails drawing over the nape, clutching him tight to me. His fingers tangled in my hair while his body pressed hotly against mine, slowly crushing my inhibitions. I heard him moan, and then felt him throb... God almighty! As our tongues danced and tangled my insides quivered. I want to drown in this man's arms and never look back. I loved the way his warm, firm mouth made love to mine while his hands stroked up and down my spine, ghosting pleasure everywhere he touched me.

I'm not thinking about this kiss... this man I'm holding onto so tightly. I'm not going to question why this feels so damn good, or what the future holds. I'm going to live in the moment and accept that there just isn't anything in this world that can extinguish my hunger for this man.

Or my love.

Our unplanned make-out session draws to a soft close with our foreheads pressing together, gentle panting breaths between us. My eyes open first, greeting his loving gaze. We're still in each other's embrace, unwilling to let go. I dare to ask, "What are you thinking about right at this very moment?"

"Doing something I've never done in the kitchen before," he smiled evilly.

"What, wash dishes?" His head dipped as his soft laughter found amusement in my teasing. It's just our way. A sudden thunder crack rattled the windows as I took a deep breath. My hand came to rest gently over his chest, drawing lightly over his shirt. "Can we, just for one night, not think about this. I don't want to... I'm just..." I ducked my chin and sighed. "You make me feel so much it scares me."

His hand covered mine, comfortably over his heart. Poetic, I suppose. "The feeling is mutual, Kim. I hope you know that."

"I do." His lips curled into a wide smile as he seemed to understand me even when I'm not sure I do. That's a luxury I hope I never take for granted.

Tommy gave a quick glance over his shoulder at the stove before returning his attention to me. "Look, the spaghetti needs to cool off and I could probably use a shower. How about we watch some TV before dinner?"

His patience with me is one of the many reasons I'm so appreciative of having him in my life. I nod my thanks. "You're the best." He kissed me again, so easy and sweet. Even nibbled my lip at the end, which makes me bite at him. We share a snicker of sorts. And then his arms lift me off the island and slowly down his hard body, giving me all the evidence in the world that he desires me and isn't hiding a thing. Indulging and then running away is practically my trademark with men. I'm a certified tease and proud of it, but the longer I'm with Tommy, the more he breaks down all my walls.

Unfortunately for him... and myself, my emotional walls make the Empire State Building look like a Lego toy castle.

He pinky-finger tugs me toward our living room, and then down on our long beige sectional couch. I'm still feeling the tingles from our kiss, and with the storm raging outside and the warmth of his arms still clouding my senses, I'm half disappointed he didn't just pull me down in his lap. It would have been out of character and inappropriate and yet I wouldn't have minded one bit. I just need to be close to him tonight. And I am, seated right beside him with our shoulders touching. After a very emotionally stressful day I'm finally relaxed and happy enough to let go... at least a little bit. "So what are we going to watch, oh dearest roommie?"

After a long stretch of his arms, Tommy grabbed the remote off the coffee table, hit the guide button and started searching the channels. Like any man he covers all of them twice before deciding on a movie that makes me roll my eyes. A particularly Y-Chromosome sort of film. The world's most famous hockey-mask-wearing killer walks across the screen. "Tommy, please."

My ex gave me a look, grinning. "What? Friday the 13th part 4 is a classic. It's Jason Vorhees for crying out loud! And this was supposed to be the last one."

"Yeah, until they made like forty more. All of them terrible and following the same tired cliche. Except for the one when Jason went into space. That was cheesy to the extreme, although Rocky loved it."

"He's a big fan of cheesy," Tommy reminded me. On screen, the first of the Friday the 13th movie series' most time honored cliches began. My roommate shook his head in amusement. "Who in their right mind would skinny dip at night on the camp grounds where a mass murderer used to butcher people?"

My wit countered by offering, "What group of teenagers would think nothing of being attacked by a group of grey-spandex-wearing, gibberish-speaking retards and then get teleported to a tiny, cheap-looking base of operations decorated in Christmas lights, run by a big smoky face and a gay robot?"

"You think Alpha-5 was gay?" Tommy questioned me with a grin.

"Sweetheart, Alpha-5 and C-3PO liked the same sort of robots, if you catch my drift. They might have made a nice couple, actually."

"Sweetheart?" I looked away quickly when I realized I called him that, but he just kept right on smirking, the jerk. My slip of the tongue wasn't going to be ignored. "So I'm your sweetheart now?"

"No, you're my pain in the ass." Damn, stupid heart of mine trying to talk without my permission. And yeah, I am going a little batty. Suddenly the sound of screams fill the room courtesy of the movie. "How can that girl not outrun Jason? He's barely power walking and she's in sneakers and has at least a fifteen foot head start in front of him. Why does she keep looking back over her damn shoulders while running through a branch infested forest? It's like she wants to trip and fall." The girl trips and falls. "Now rather than kick Jason in the nuts, provided he has any, she just lies on the ground and screams as if some big strong man will save her." Jason raised his machete. "Now see, I would have kicked him in the nuts, rolled sideways and grabbed some dirt. Then I would have tossed it at his face. With that mask on his peripheral vision can't be that good and if he was temporarily blinded I would just run away and not look back. Or at least grab that big branch on the ground and stab him or hit him or something." Jason hacks the girl to bits. "Dumb bitch."

Tommy laughed, "Kim, such language."

My inner feminist roared, "That dead girl and almost every girl who died in a eighties horror movie made us all look bad. Sure, we had Ripley from Aliens and Sara Connor from the Terminator movies championing women's abilities to survive crazy stuff, but the Friday the 13th movies made all girls appear addicted to skinny dipping, look stupid, big-boobed, dim-witted, unable to leap an acorn without tripping over herself, and horny. Now, I know that's what you guys would prefer us to be like..."

"No comment."

"Why did you nod?"

"I didn't nod... I just angled my head."

"That better be what you did. I have you listed as one of the few shining examples of your sex." A slow grin spread across his face, matching my own. And then he did the cutest thing I've seen in like, forever. He went out of his way to perform the time honored male-teenager movie maneuver of an exaggerated yawn that saw his arm lift in the air, and then gently fall over my shoulder, cuddling me close to his side. "That was so cheesy I think you could get a job at Kraft."

"But it made you smile," he asserted.

"... a little." Nestled warm and safe against him, I couldn't resist lying my head on his shoulder. His head came to rest gently against my own, which made my bones turn to mush. Heavy raindrops peppered the terrace as the storm continued on, but here in our cozy apartment, we're just fine. His hand is resting on my thigh, while mine is on his. Afternoon is slowly giving way to night, just as our relationship is shifting before my very eyes.

How can I deny that this feels so right?

"So tell me about Cameron?"

Breaking through my mental haze, his question surprised me. The infamous and world renowned letter guy, as Zack christened him. "Why do you want to know anything about him?"

"Cause I'm already getting bored with Jason chopping teenagers to death," Tommy explained, his eyes gazing down at me. "I know his name, that you fell in love with him, and that he was the guy you wrote about in your Dear John letter. But I don't really know anything about him personally."

"Tommy, he wasn't a big deal or anything. And we are talking about a heck of a long time ago."

"I know that. But look, this is what people with history do. They talk about stuff that happened to them in the past. Especially stuff they both got over and can laugh about. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not harboring any ill feelings anymore about any of that. A decade's distance tends to heal most broken hearts, but I still can't help but to be curious about the guy you left me for. Especially since at the time I thought we were in a good place. And I loved you more than anything in the world."

Despite the sweetness of what he added at the end, guys are so weird sometimes in what they hold important and what means something to them. Nonetheless, his request isn't something major. Ten years is a long time to get past stuff. "Do you have specific questions or do you just want me to shoot off the top of my head?"

"Just tell me whatever you want."

He squeezed my thigh in a way that made me warm all over. My cheeks pressed to the soft fabric of his shirt. "Cameron was eighteen when I met him. You've seen a picture of him, so you know about his dark, short hair, his blue eyes, and those killer cheekbones." Tommy's snort made me smile. "Uhm, he was a marathon runner and could play the guitar really well. He was very talented. We had a lot of things in common."

"So no interest in martial arts, I take it?"

I shook my head while my fingers traced over his thigh. "Where you went left, he went right. Cameron was very social and enjoyed being the life of the party. He was focused on making the US Pan Global team, but never as obsessed with the sport as you and Jason were with martial arts. He just wasn't as intense, but he was so much fun. And I desperately needed fun to balance out the rigorous training I was going  
through. Plus, he was from Nevada, so he was pretty far from home too. We were both homesick and I think that bonded us even more."

Despite the years and lives in our rear view mirror, I watched a deep sigh rack Tommy's body. I guess time doesn't determine what's important to anyone but you, yourself. "So did Cameron have a girlfriend back at home?"

"No, he had broken up with her before leaving for Florida," I explained. "Jennifer felt they were to young to be having a long distance relationship. She didn't want to be worrying about what he might be doing, and she was honest about not wanting to wait. So that was that."

"Did you ever worry about me cheating on you?"

As young as I was back then, I can't say I was naive in this belief. And his character since then has only validated my faith in him. "No, I never worried about that." Still, I had to amend, "but I did worry if you would begin to resent me for being away. And I knew Katherine wanted you. I didn't think she was the kind of girl to go after a guy who already had a girlfriend, but her interest wasn't hidden very well."

Tommy agreed with a nod, and then tilted his head and kissed me again, as if reminding that insecure teenager still inside me I was the only one he ever wanted. I cupped his cheek, deepening the kiss, loving every second of it. He's a drug I desperately want to feel coursing through my bloodstream, but fear becoming addicted to. The fire I'm playing with could torch the whole city.

I just don't give a damn tonight. Let it burn!

As the rain poured in earnest outside, I'm lost in this man behind closed doors. We break at the same time, our foreheads pressed together, our breaths mingling. The sheer lust in his eyes for me alone makes me want to purr. "Why don't you just ask the big question that's killing you?"

My challenge didn't offend him. If anything he respected it. "Was he your first?"

I was patient with my answer, fanning the flames of competition between us. "Yes." The fever of anticipation over his response coursed through me. Did all of this really happen over ten years ago or ten days?

Tommy's voice softened. "You must have really loved him."

Flashes of my first adult relationship passed through my mind's eye like an old black and white movie. "I did at the time. Cameron was a good guy and a gentleman. He never broke my heart. He just wasn't the one." Then I laughed. "Not that many girls find the one at age seventeen, mind you."

"I thought I had."

And right there I thought I was going to cry. Then he smiled that teasing expression of his and I laughed against the fabric of his shirt. The emotional games we play... "I'm sorry I ruined our fairy tale."

"I don't think the last page has been written yet, Kim."

I heard the smile in his voice. "Was that a proposal?" I replied saucily.

"For where I want you to sleep tonight, yes," he whispered warm over my lips, his hands now roaming my thighs in a thoroughly sensual way.

My breath caught, but I played it off well. "And where might that be?"

"In my arms," he declared before brushing my lips softly with his, "…under me," was followed by another slow, wet kiss, "…on top of me," his tongue swept over mine, and then he gave it a strong suck, "…curled around me."

I couldn't swallow the sudden knot in my throat, but I was desperately trying to swallow his tongue. Somehow, and don't ask me what happened, I'm straddled over his lap now fucking his mouth with mine, the sensuous sounds of our kissing drowning out the furious thunder storm rattling the windows. The sultry feel of his hands under my shirt, grazing my lower back, has me rocking on his lap... right over the part of him that's throbbing for me. A strong, steady warmth in my belly has me clutching him so tight.

Our kissing grew hot and urgent, with his hands all over me. My eyes were still shut when he panted, "do you want to talk about last night?" Breathlessly, I shook my head no. When I talk the fear sets in, and for once I just don't want to stop. "Are you sure you want this?" My hand descended between us, taking hold of his erection, pure confidence and verve shining on my face. "Do you want a commitment?"

"As long as you pay your half of the rent, I'm cool."

"Kim, I'm serious."

"I know you love me." His eyes widened as I invaded that dangerous, unpredictable territory of ours. Part of my heart was thrilled that he made no attempt to deny my claim. My mind's racing and I'm terrified of what I'll say next. And then he's nuzzling the side of my neck while his strong hands are making me so wet. My hand swept over his erection again, causing a harsh groan to erupt from his mouth. I gave him my best "take that" look.

His reply was to take us to the floor, lying his body over mine, braced hot between my legs. Moaning and frantic, biting kisses echoed hunger that saw us arching and grinding our lower bodies, dying from the pleasurable friction while needing so much more. My nails are raking over his back, tearing at his shirt, ravenous for the feel of his skin against mine.

My God...

I'm going to fuck him tonight.

It's a foregone conclusion. Every fantasy I've ever had about him is going to be brought vividly to life. "I love you," gasped from my lips.

I watched his eyes shut, and then his lips curl into a beautiful smile. "Say it again."

His finger traced over my lips. I kissed it when it passed by. "I love you."

His eyes shut and then reopened slowly. "Again."

My lips quirked in a devilish smirk. "I didn't use the 'in' word, you know."

"You didn't have to," he taunted before claiming my lips again, kissing the life out of me until he sat up with me in his arms, and then wrapped them around me until my feel left the floor. I'm losing my mind in his arms. I want him so bad I'm shaking. My tongue's swimming inside his mouth while my arms are wrapped around his neck. He's taking me to bed to finally make love to me and I'm sure we won't see daylight for the rest of the weekend.

Tommy stopped suddenly, his penetrating gaze was living proof that he was a walking, talking aphrodisiac. "All night long, Kim."

His promise came in a whisper, and by God I didn't have a doubt in the world he would live up to every orgasmic second of it.

When my feet finally touched ground, my eyes opened to discover we're in our bathroom and not his bedroom. I'm still breathless, watching Tommy back away from me. A second later he's pulling the shower curtain back, and then turning on the shower. "Your bedroom's that way," I teased, pointing out of the bathroom.

"We'll get there," he said while walking up to me, and then past to shut the door, sealing us inside. My hearts pounding in my chest. "We shouldn't rush this." His hands reached for mine, pulling me backwards with him towards the shower. "I want you to join me."

My tongue swept over my lips as I blushed furiously. Damn my fair complexion. "I might not be tall enough to wash your hair."

"You could if your legs were wrapped around my waist."

Did I just orgasm?

Nope, but I plan on rectifying that real soon.

"Tommy..." His name escapes my lips so shyly. "This is unexpected."

"No, this is taking our time," he reveled in saying, his hands massaging away my inhibitions. "This is foregoing a quick fuck for something grown and sexy. Don't tell me you don't want this. I know you do."

Denying that would be a joke. I could only nod, seemingly robbed of my trademark bravado. His hands drifted away from me, and then he tore his shirt off, tossing it to the floor. My eyes drank in every detail of his delicious upper body, all hard muscle and girl candy. He kept his eyes on mine when they traveled lower. I can't help but to stare at that part of him I've imagined a million times. That part of him I want passionately, and judging by its rigid state, it wants me just as badly. "Someone looks happy to see me."

Tommy smiled at my sarcasm. "It's your turn."

Facing his dare head on, I take my time unbuttoning my top while silently thanking God I wore sexy underwear today. He looked ready to pounce at every little inch of skin revealed when I peeled the garment open. That killed any insecurity I might of had. A second later my top pooled at my feet, leaving me in a strapless lavender bra and my most pouty expression. "Lose those pants. Now."

My voice sounded so bold, but on the inside I'm warm mush. Tommy wasted no time as he calmly slipped his belt from his pants, draped it over his shoulder for a moment, and then dropped it off his fingertips. The bastard took his time unbuttoning the one button on his jeans, and then unzipping around his rock hard erection. His piercing gaze held me captive when he shoved his jeans down his legs, and then stepped out of them. That prominent piece of flesh stole my attention hostage. He was so much man I couldn't even joke about it. "Impressive."

When he could have enjoyed my compliment, he seemed enthralled by just staring at me. I feel so sexy under his appreciation. "Don't make me wait any longer, Kim."

Steam began to lift from the shower, misting the glass above our sink. I swallowed hard. "Maybe I'm just building anticipation."

"I've wanted you since I was sixteen years old. That's practically half my life."

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a long session of foreplay." His arms crossed his chest, impatiently waiting for me to stop playing games. Oh dear Tommy, that day will never come. But I won't either if I don't lose these clothes. His eyes graced over my torso while I undid the button on my pants. He groaned when I shimmied them down my legs, revealing a matching lavender thong to his hungry eyes. Stepping out of my clothes, I kicked them against the door. This slow revealing of ourselves is driving me mad, and yet I'm so aroused it doesn't make sense.

"I swear," Tommy spoke in a dark, desire-laden tone, "I'm going to bathe every square inch of your beautiful body," he slowly circled me, "…with my tongue."

I shivered at the mental image of his head between my thighs, sucking on me like a ripe piece of fruit. "You really know the way to a girl's heart."

"I've been trying to find my way to yours for over ten years."

"You've found me," I promised him. He invaded my personal space, slinking his arms around me again. I melted against his bare chest.

"Have I?" he asked tentatively, as if my answer would mean everything to him.

I want to protect myself, tell him the truth, and try to discover just what that truth is all at the same time. "I miss being yours," escaped from my heart against his chest. The shower's wet heat has nothing on what's happening between Tommy and I. We're a force of nature that can't be denied and tonight is THE night.

Tossing aside our game of back and forth, I boldly undid the clasp on my bra, allowing it to fall the floor, revealing more of myself to Tommy than I ever have before. I've thought a thousand different things in my head when I've taken my clothes off in front of men before, both beating myself up over my insecurities and what I thought were his expectations. But Tommy's dear face exposed only the immense depth of his love and desire. "Enjoying the view?"

"And loving the woman," he spoke quietly, as if in a bit of awe that we're finally tearing down the last of the walls between us. His thumbs hooked his boxers and then drug them down to his ankles before stepping out of them. When he rose back to his full height I was staring at the most gorgeous dick I have ever seen. Now truthfully, I've only seen six others. But his... long, hard, throbbing... Mercy, please don't let my inner dork say anything stupid. "Well hello there."

Dammit!

Tommy didn't laugh as much as grin, but he was enjoying the moment. Quietly, as that's his way. "I'm up here, Kim."

I can't help but to snicker at that one. He's poised so close to me and I'm next. "You ready for this big reveal, Handsome?"

He swallowed hard. "I've been ready for so many years."

I carefully pulled and tugged my socks off.

"You are such a tease," he accused me, this time unable to resist laughing.

"Well since you've wanted me for so many years, how about you do the honors of unwrapping your greatest fantasy." A sense of triumph swept through me when it was his turn to appear shy. Nonetheless, his thumbs hooked in the sides of my panties on my hips. He knelt before me while dragging them down so slowly, his eyes hungry... dark with lust. I felt his warm breath fanning the soft, moist curls between my thighs. I've never felt so exposed, or so wanton, in my entire life. And the tempting visual of him on bended knee before me wasn't lost on me, either. "Are you going to propose, go down on me, or try Option 3?"

Tommy never uttered a single word. My belly trembled when he pressed his mouth there, and then began methodically kissing his way up my chest, between my breasts, and over my neck until his lips slipped wet over mine. Our arms circled each other, locking our bodies together. My feet left the floor when he lifted me over the tub and settled us behind the shower curtain.

Steaming hot sprays drenched us with its liquid caress.

I gave him one hungry, hard kiss after another while his hands cupped and kneaded my ass. His cock swelled against my belly, causing my toes to curl the same way his tongue did around mine. The feel of my nipples grazing his chest was so good it had me whimpering in his arms. Under the hot water's spray every sensual glide, every soft stroke burned us from the inside out. My back arched sharply when he began sucking on my tongue, drawing on his powerfully. My right leg curled around his, and then I'm being lifted up against the wall... the cool tile in contrast with the hot shower's rain.

All caution, all reason, and all sanity have fled my mind. I'm running on sensation and passion alone.

"Kim," he groaned over my neck, his strong arms settling my body against his and the wall in a tangle of wet flesh and hot desire. "What do you..."

"Fuck me," I begged him softly, droplets of water cascading down my lips.

There, I said it and I'm so ready to... now who in the hell is banging at our door?!!! ARE THOSE FIRE ALARMS I HEAR?

THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!!!

NOT NOW!!!

* * *

**Ariana Davidson's apartment  
3rd floor  
251 W 58th St  
Sunday, April 8, 4:40 PM 2008  
New York City, New York**

"Kim, have you lost what was left of your mind?"

Now that's just the reaction I expected. While sitting at Ari's kitchen table nursing my Starbucks addiction, I finally confessed why I've been in a mood all day long while we were out shopping. Now I realize I should have kept my big mouth shut. Suffice to say, I'm being read the riot act over what I did yesterday. Great, just great. I can't seem to win this week. "I still think Tommy's overreacting a little."

Hands on her hips, Ari circled the table, centering her Evil-Eye upon me. "Can you honestly sit there and tell me you aren't surprised Tommy is pissed off as hell at you?" my bestest gal pal in the Big Apple questioned while pointing her frosted donut at me. I shrug cause, you know, that's what I do. Especially when asked questions about my roommate slash ex-boyfriend slash almost lover. "You are now the Supreme Queen of mixed signals."

"Ari, an apartment four floors above us caught on fire at the exact moment Tommy and I were about to do it. We had to evacuate the building immediately. I'm sorry, but I think that's destiny telling me in big, bold neon letters that I was about to make a huge mistake. And I've made plenty, so I know what they look like."

"Tell me, dear Ms. Hart? Was destiny telling you something different when you were naked in the shower with your legs wrapped around Tommy's heavenly torso and your back was pressed against the wall about to finally get some after a drought that would make the Sahara Desert envious?"

The heat flash that just flew through me courtesy of remembering yesterdays almost sex with Tommy left me a bit flushed. We were so close and it would have been so damn good... Swallowing hard, I down another drink of my iced coffee and try to formulate a coherent response. "Destiny was locked out the room at that time." Yeah, that sounds sane.

Now if Ari would just look at me like I wasn't insane. I'm not. I'm just a bit of a emotional mess. And that donut she's eating looks so good. I should of gotten me one.

Folding her arms across her chest, Ari fixed her gaze on me. "You and I both know Tommy's a good guy?"

"I never said he wasn't."

"And you've told me many times how good he treats you, how much you trust him, and how important he is to your mental health and stability."

"I could say the same thing about Captain Crunch too. I used to love that cereal as a kid."

"You admitted to me that he gets you hot."

"So does my naked firemen of New York calendar."

"And you told you were jealous when he slept with whatshername."

"I deny that charge."

"And you don't sleep around."

"I'm no ho." I smiled, "Hey, that rhymes."

Ari wasn't having any of my BS today. "After being that intimate and so close to making love how could you pull a disappearing act, stay away from the apartment until almost midnight and not even call Tommy to explain why you flaked out? And this better be one good explanation. No, you need a near biblical explanation."

Oh crap. How do I defend the indefensible? Really, I can't. Tommy and I dressed as fast as we could, racing out the apartment for our lives. As it turned out, the fire was so small that we were allowed back inside the apartment building later that night. But once I was outside cold reality slapped me upside the head. Or maybe it was fear. I confuse them at times. Either way I felt the sheer weight of what was about to happen between Tommy and I overwhelm me. I suddenly couldn't breath. So I snuck away to my car and drove off.

Yeah, I know I suck.

Of course we want each other. But to make this roommate thing we work can't be fooling around. Couple that with the fact that I am relationship poison to the degree that my drivers license should come with the skull and crossbones symbol overlapping a heart on the front. Add to that his friendship means the world to me. And this sounds like the same song I've been singing for months now. I so need a new tune.

Whatever is wrong with me, I'm terrified. Horrifically terrified. Love is wonderful, sweet, sexy, comforting, and ultimately doomed in my eyes. Its just a matter of time. And now Tommy isn't even speaking to me. Can't say I blame him. If the shoe were on the other foot, and with my fashion sense that would be a killer heel with... damn, I can't even ramble on in my own head without getting off track.

Ari's losing her patience with me. "Kim, are you gonna answer?"

My fingernail just goes right on tapping my cup. "I'm afraid of losing him... and myself." The quietly somber words escape my lips as mysterious as ever. How do I make someone understand what barely make sense to me? "I don't know how to explain what I feel for him, Ari. It just feels like I'm suffocating every time I let him get close to me. And I know I'm sending him mixed signals. I know that. He deserves better. There's one part of me that longs for him so much in every way. But there's another part..."

"That's nuts?"

"I call it Insane-Kim logic, but yes. I might be just a little nuts." Ari smiled and then took a seat next to me. Her arm wrapped over my shoulder in support. Who but another women could possibly understand the outrageously conflicted emotions we feel. And after a moment of staring at her frosty donut she broke it in two. Now that's a best friend. "I love the frost."

"And Tommy," she asserted rather than asked me. I offer no rebuttal, enjoying the donut. She knows me to well.

After finishing off my Starbucks, I stretched my legs out under the table. "I'm going to apologize to him when I go home, alright."

"How can you apologize for what you did when you can't explain to him why?" See, that's a grown up question. No two ways about it. I wish I had an answer. "You're going to need to to do some major repair work if you hope to salvage anything with him. And let's be honest, Kim. Deep down in your heart of hearts, you want more than friendship."

I don't but I do. When I'm lonely I want him near. When he's near I want him closer. And when he gets closer I... I need him close enough to heal my heart as only he can, but far enough away so that if I need to run he won't catch me. Complicated much? "I never said that."

"You didn't have too. Its written all over your face." Ari pointed to my forehead. "I'm in love with Tommy. See, its right there."

"No it isn't."

"Is too."

"Is not!"

"You love him. Confess?!"

"No!"

"Confess you love Tommy!"

"I LOVE FRUITY PEBBLES CEREAL!"

Yeah, I'm nuts. And did I just shout that? Ari's never letting me in her apartment again. Did she just move her chair a little. "Are you near a nervous breakdown?"

"No, I passed that point of no return a month ago. This is full blown Meltdown-Kim in all her complex glory."

"Stop running, Kim," Ari noted seriously, touching my hand. "Whatever it is you're running from, stop. Before its to late."

Wise words for certain. I give her a nod to acknowledge that I get where she's coming from. I've made a mess of things and now I have to face the consequences. At least I have a great friend I can air out my craziness with and know she still loves me. "Don't worry, I'm not about to shave my head and go all Britney Spears nuts, okay."

"Good to know." Ariana hugs me a second time and then took a glance at her watch and scowled. If looks could kill her ex-husband John would dead already. "I can't believe he's three hours late," she noted angrily, shaking her head as he disappointed her son yet again. For her, that's an unforgivable sin. "Jason was looking forward to spending time with him so much. He talked about it all day yesterday. I told John how much his son misses him. I swear I could kill the man."

Ariana's had every sort of problem with her ex-husband a woman could have. But her son's precious heart longs for a father. The problem is that the one he has is lousy to say the least. "John hasn't left any messages at all?"

"You were with me all day, so you know he didn't call my cell. And I checked the home number as soon as we walked in the door." To keep Jason's mind off his dad we took him shopping with us, but he's a bright little boy. He's only six, but he knows something is wrong. "John's educated and has a great job. His father was wonderful. I just don't get why he treats his only child like this. It's as if he's missing some sort of parent gene. Personally, I could care less if he got hit by a bus tomorrow. But my son loves his Dad despite only seeing him twice a week. John's choice, not mine."

"Jason has the best mom in the world in you, and someday you'll meet a wonderful man who'll love Jason like he's his own son. Until then Jason will have a wonderful life. It's John who's missing out."

"Tommy's still single, right?" She had the nerve to wiggle her brows at me.

"Not in a million years," I laughed.

"You won't admit you're in love with him and dying to make little karate-kicking Tommy's..." My eyes just about bulge out their sockets. "But you won't share the tastiness that is Mr. Oliver with the rest of us lonely, horny, gainfully employed New York females."

"Tommy belongs to me. There, I said it. Are you happy?"

"No, but you could of been if you would have just boned his brains out like any normal girl would have."

"I am normal, dammit. I'm just... sorta wacky." Ari's cracking up big time. "But that's not my fault. I blame men for all my issues. And so far that excuse has worked out pretty well for me."

"And the crazy thing is I know you're not on drugs." I elbowed her just for the heck of it. Ari lifted her Starbucks cup. "To surviving the insanity men inspire in us."

I toasted her cup with my own. "Amen, sister."

Having spent most of my day out and about avoiding the humongous elephant in the room at my apartment, its time I cowboy'd up as my dad would say and dealt with the mess I've made. "It's time for me to face the music, Ari."

"Sounds like a good idea. Just remember that good guy's have tender hearts too," she smiled. "We might rag and joke about men all the time, but when you have a good one you have to take great care of that relationship. And I think your Tommy, he's a good one. A real keeper."

"So tell me what to do?" I sighed, rising to my feet. "I don't have all the answers yet."

"Tell him the truth. You're scared and you're sorry. And then tell him what he means to you."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Look, that's option two. As far as I'm concerned you need to pin that man to the nearest flat surface as soon as you see him and ride his fine self all the way to happy town."

I'm laughing so hard on my way to Jason's bedroom to say goodbye to the sweetest little boy on Earth. He leapt off his bed at me with his Wii controller dangling from his wrist, asking his Auntie Kim to play with  
him. I had to play a game or two dealing with rabbits attempting to take over the world. With video games these days, go figure. I grew up with a fat Italian plumber jumping on peoples heads, so I have nothing to laugh at. After helping him beat a boss I smothered him with kisses and a promise of ice cream next weekend, and then walked out of his bedroom.

I waved at Ari on my way out. "I'll call you later on tonight."

"Good. I'll want details. Especially of the naked variety."

Ariana's one track mind matched my own so perfectly. "Try not to let John ruin the rest of your day, alright? Get yourself a glass of wine and watch a good movie. As long as Jason is with you he'll be fine. You're an amazing mom."

Her lovely brown eyes conveyed she may have needed to hear that more than she could admit. "Thanks. You're remarkable too. Crazy, but remarkable."

A final hug and I'm out the door and heading for the staircase. The elevator's broken, yet another that seems to hate me, so I'll get my cardio workout this way. Its not until I reach the first floor that I run into John the jerk. His sneering expression upon seeing me clearly said he knows he's dead as soon as he reaches Ariana's apartment. "You could have called."

"Sorry, are you my ex-wife or the mother of my child?" He shook his head, having the nerve to smirk.

"Thank God I'm neither of those, but I am a good friend of Ariana and your son. The same son that thought he was spending the day with you. The same one I heard asking about you all day long with tears in his eyes." John rolled his as if talking to me was a waste of his time. "Look, I don't have the right or time to give you a lecture, but I love Ari and Jason. If you couldn't make it or something serious came up you could have called. Adults are used to being disappointed, but children don't know how to deal with it."

"Something came up, alright."

"That's fine. Its between you and Ari, but she needed to know hours ago. Its a respect thing, John. She's due that."

His eyes gave me the once over and I'm sure he's yet again mentally bitching out Ariana over having a white friend. I've been told he's not too fond of what he perceives as her "selling out" now that she's  
so successful. "I'll take care of my son and my business, thank you very much."

I can tell he's angry and I don't want to fight. Fighting won't solve anything. "Look, just consider that Ariana has a full-time job and is a full-time mom. She needs you to keep your promises and keep in contact with her. I'm not trying to judge you. I care about Ari and Jason a great deal. So instead of getting an attitude with her, think of your son first. He needs you. He needs to know he can count on you. And the type of man he becomes will be greatly influenced by you. Just think about that, alright."

Walking away, I leave him alone with his thoughts while silently thanking my dad for being so wonderful even when he and my mom divorced.

* * *

**115 West 57th Street  
In front of Tommy and Kimberly's apartment building  
Sunday, April 9, 6:20 PM 2008  
New York City, NY**

My drive home is so peaceful while listening to the CD of soft jazz music Zack made for me that I'm taking the long way just to cruise this great city. The Big Apple on a beautiful spring Sunday evening is quite a sight to behold. Of course I'm also avoiding my inevitable confrontation with Tommy like the plague as well. How in the world did I get myself into so much drama in the last seventy-two hours? Oh well, while my resolve to sincerely apologize hasn't wavered, deep down I'm terrified I've finally pushed him so far away... That in itself is a contradiction. I don't even know where I want him in my life, only that I do. And as the questions concerning my personal life continue to mount I'm beginning to get worried that something is truly wrong with me.

While I freely admit I'm kinda jaded about the numerous wrong turns I've made where men are concerned, my own responsibility lies in choosing the ones who I knew I could lose without suffering another  
heartbreak. When it comes to "playing the game" of romance I'm bold and a world-class flirt. I'll often make the first move just so I can always be in the drivers seat. And after the fun is over I'm ready to jump off the ride as soon as he's ready to commit. I don't ask myself why that happens as I already know the answer.

I don't think I believe in true love ever working out in the end. Sad, but true. And I wish I felt otherwise.

I think my cynical side has taken over to a degree that I just want my close male friends, my band mates, and a hot guy or two for kicks. No more than that. If I need a man's honest opinion or a shoulder to cry on I have five best-friend brothers, an actual blood brother, and a good father to be there for me. There's a person missing there and we all know who he is. See, I don't count Tommy as one despite writing that stupid letter years ago. He isn't now and has never been a brother to me.

Of course what exactly he is alludes me as well. But hey, I only have so many answers. And I think I'm coming off my frosty donut high.

I also know myself well enough to see my own faults, of which there are many. I'm so far away from perfect its a wonder I can even spell the word. But after Tommy, I've never cheated on another boyfriend. I haven't made a practice of jumping from relationship to relationship either. I've never, ever gone after a guy who I knew was already in a relationship. I don't toy with guys hearts by allowing them to fill with wedding bell wishes and forever dreams. And I can honestly say I've only had a single one-night stand way back in my junior year of college when I first discovered the wonders of Vodka. I don't sleep around and can still count all the lovers I've had without finishing off two hands. Its not that I'm promiscuous or dying to play the field. I want a loving, passionate, committed relationship like every other woman. I'm just not so sure anymore they exist, and if they do, I'm not sure I'm capable of being in one.

Tommy is though. Despite his many, many flaws when it comes to love he's in one hundred percent. There are no doubts with him where his heart is concerned. I think he's one of the five-percentile males who is built with the "don't cheat," "remain a gentleman at all times," and "tell the truth" chips. But as wonderful as that is, if the world is in danger and needs a hero, not only will he step up to the challenge, he'd want to be at the forefront of it. Whatever else there is in his life will take a back seat. He can't distance himself from the danger zone. And as flawed as I am with men, he's fractured between balancing a normal life versus craving the excitement and thrills his spirit calls out for.

He'd give me or any other woman so many restless, scared nights of worry. Its the price we'd pay for the love he's capable of.

Do you know what the truth of the matter is? Tommy and I are both so royally messed up its a wonder we want each other at all. On the outside people think we're attractive enough to look at, but if they had a clue of the complex insanity going on the inside they might run off screaming at the top of their lungs. Maybe that's what draws us together, us being chameleons and all. It's easy for me to admit that I want him. My body longs for him. My soul needs him. My heart is so greedy and possessive of him the mere thought of him with another woman makes my blood boil. But my head won't let it happen. It hasn't let it happen with anyone in my entire adult life.

So now I'm faced with the daunting task of trying to mend the most precious relationship I have while not being able to fully explain why I'm acting this way. Damn female hormones. If I were a man and Tommy were Tammy or Tina I would have spent a blissful weekend naked and rocking his... her world. Okay, that thought just went a strange place. I need a drink or something.

Upon turning down my street I catch sight of Tommy sitting on the front steps of our apartment building for some strange reason. He never just sits outside, so that piqued my interest. He's in all black today, rugged and sexy. How can a man look that good when he's mad? Or maybe I just have it that bad for him. Of course he's as frustrated as I am after last night. Jesus, I was so ready to finally break up with my battery-operated boyfriend and taste some real action again.

I can't believe I'm still in Armageddon date-mode. And I need new batteries. It truly sucks to be me.

A moment later I'm pulling up and parking in front of my building, but I don't get out right away. It's deep breath time. I can do this. I have to do this. And I won't lose him.

I can't.

After a minute or two more I finally vacate the safe shelter of my car while measuring my steps toward Tommy. He's staring past me, still angry as he was when I left earlier. This isn't going to be easy. "You didn't by any chance lock yourself out of our apartment, did you?" I pressed in a teasing tone.

"The apartment felt stuffy, so I came out here for some fresh air. And I ordered a pizza for dinner," he replied without much feeling while seated on the second to last step.

"Did I hear you correctly? The self-proclaimed health nut ordered a greasy, cholesterol-deadly pizza?" My arms cross while I'm standing in front of him, desperately trying to break through his cold demeanor. "The world must be coming to an end."

"It would be if you had just started this conversation with an apology instead of acting like everything is alright between us... when it isn't."

Ouch, but I deserved that. He's not going to give an inch. It's time for me to step up to the plate. "Tommy, I am sincerely sorry for flaking out on you last night and disappearing like that. I don't know what came over me, but you didn't deserve it. I'm not playing games with you. I... I just don't know what's wrong with me."

He's searching my face for sincerity. The doubt that implies hurts. "I've heard enough of that, Kim. We're too old to be taking two steps forward and three steps back."

"You're right," I confessed with a slow nod, and then moved in closer. My face suddenly brightened with a smile when for once I was face-to-face with him as he was sitting down. My accursed height never leveled the playing field. I could tell he thought the same thing when he tried to suppress a grin of his own. Whenever we're this physically close he has such a strong emotional effect on me. And even when he's angry with me his eyes betray wanting me. "I am sorry, Tommy. I mean it."

"Prove it," he challenged wearing a hint of a smirk.

I'm blushing all of a sudden. He's been making my stomach flutter since before I got my drivers license. "How?"

"Tell me why you ran?" My gaze fell even as he pursued it. "If you respect me like I think you do you'll explain yourself. You have to help me understand why you did it."

My subtle attempt to use his attraction for me to change the mood has fallen by the wayside. I guess it's grown-up Kim time. Sighing, I take the bottom step between his legs and sit down. I feel the gentle weight of his chin on my shoulder, patiently waiting for me. I hate admitting this, but... "I'm broken." There, I said it. Now its out in the open. Can I go somewhere and cry now? "I'm... I have never been able to truly let a man into my life. Not all the way in romantically. And I don't know why. Even when I'm in love I just can't seem to give enough of myself to make things work."

When his arms wrapped around me from behind I gave a half-hearted attempt to pull away, but my heart just wasn't in it. I settled back against him, safe, secure, and comforted by his warm embrace. He has an eternal soft spot for me that I pray never goes away. "I don't want to be this way, Tommy. And its not just been with you. My other relationships have been the same way. I flirt, fall for the guy, have some fun, and then when things get heavy I'm ready to bolt. That's how I am."

"Kim," he caressed my name so tenderly when he said it, and then pressed a whisper of a kiss on my temple. "No one's proposing to anyone here, alright? We don't have to rush into anything. Casual is fine so long as we are both on the same page. I wasn't angry that we didn't make love. If you felt rushing into sex wasn't a good idea I can deal with that. I would have just taken another shower, albeit much colder and longer than the one we shared," he laughed softly against my ear. I wish I could wake up every morning to that dear sound. "Normal people, when they've kissed and confessed feelings and almost made love see that as a clear sign that somethings happening between them."

"Normal?" i just about shouted. "I'm not sure what that is anymore."

"Its different for everyone," he calmly explained. "I haven't felt normal since I arrived in Angel Grove all those years ago. Not since I tried to kill you and all your friends not even a day after I met you." That dark memory still gives me the chills. I know he feels the same way. "When Prince Gasket tortured me until something in my mind broke and I almost killed my friends again, it was another reminder of how far from normal my life  
was. But when it comes to our most important relationships in life we have to work harder to get past our personal issues. And I'm willing to do that for you."

"I don't want to be this way, Tommy."

"Then don't be." His right arm crossed my chest, snuggling my back against him. I'm surrounded by his affection and I love it more than I can say. "You can make the decision to change, Kim."

"I've tried before."

"Those other men weren't me."

I guess I don't need any more evidence. He's knows my deep, dark secret. He's heard the hidden whispers in my heart I try to avoid ever listening too. And if I'm perfectly honest, I know who I am to him. One day I hope to be brave enough to embrace it. "So you think you're special, huh?"

When I shifted my body just a little he flashed me that devastating smile of his. "No, just yours."

Awwww. Damn my hypnotic attraction for him. Damn my weakness for cheesy romantic lines that make me want to curl like a kitten in his lap. "You just said that to get me horizontal."

Tommy snickered again, shaking his head. "I hope you don't think horizontal is the only position I have in mind where you are concerned, Ms. Hart."

He's my irresistible urge. I suddenly had the childish notion to stomp his foot. "Touché."

"So let's do this right," he noted before stealing a loving kiss that left my lips tingling. "Let's go upstairs and when the pizza comes we'll have dinner and a bottle of wine. Then we can seriously talk about dating. Not getting married and having children or anything that monumental. Just ordinary dating. Simple, casual dating, alright?"

Uh oh, panic attack! That's when my throat tightened and I swallowed hard, as if I'm choking. He wants dating to lead to more and that's... dammit. "Can't we just start over and wipe the slate clean?"

"No," he answered immediately. I felt him stiffen against me. "Kim, no more ignoring things. Let's just deal with everything and move forward."

Unconsciously, I can feel my legs moving to stand as well as Tommy following my every move with his eyes. I turned to face him, suddenly nervous. "Why can't we start new?"

"Because you aren't talking about us, you're talking about acting as if nothing happened and going back to the status quo of flirting all the time. Well I'm tired of that. It doesn't get us anywhere. We've been roommates for months now. We have trust and passion and love of some kind I'd like to explore the definition of. This is special to me and I'm willing to go very slow and give you your freedom to date other guys and all that if you need it. But we have to give us a real shot. That's what adults do."

Even as my heart understood, my mind turned the words upside down. I felt like I wasn't hearing what he truly meant. "So if it's not your way it's no way?"

Tommy sighed and then bowed his head. "Better than being toyed with."

God dammit, here we go again. "Toyed with? Is that what you think I'm doing."

"What else could it be?"

"I don't want to hurt you on purpose."

"Then stay and lets try again." His brown eyes held mine captive, but when I turned away he snorted angrily. A coldness settled in between us. "Sometimes I can't stand the sight of you."

My teeth bit my bottom lip to keep it from trembling. I felt crippled and angry, so much so I'm near tears and I don't know why. I clutched my car keys tightly. "Enjoy your pizza. Now I need some air."

"There you go running off again."

"Fuck you!" I snarled at him.

"It would be so easy to hate you."

"Not as easy as it is for me to walk away from you." We're staring at each other while falling apart at the seams. I don't have it in me to fix this right now. I don't know how. And the price I will pay is losing him. Why am I so screwed up inside? Why does he encompass every part of my life, and yet I won't let him in?

Silence led me back to my car, brushing away an errant tear out of his sight. Nonetheless, I felt his gaze on me the whole way. I'm driving before I even realize it, speeding around the corner on our street, my music blaring. My destination, who knows or cares. I just need to get awa...

OH MY GOD!

A massive red semi-truck just slammed head-on into the dark blue Nissan Altima in front of me with such force the entire front end buckled, lifted, and almost toppled the car backwards onto mine. My feet hit the breaks while my heart was in my throat. The screeching, horrible crunch of metal stopped traffic in both lanes cold. Everything in the world slowed down.

Jesus, the car in front of me...

I'm on my cell phone a second later calling 911. I'm out of my car in a flash, now working with four other people who came out of nowhere to see what we can do to help the people in either of the two cars. My eyes caught sight of two women gasping at the sight of the man driving the red semi. His front windshield right where the drivers seat was is cracked. No air bad was deployed. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt and his head was bent at a terrible angle. I can make out blood stains... I don't think he made it. He came out of nowhere and had to be driving incredibly fast.

The passenger in the Altima was thankfully wearing her seat belt. I managed to help a guy get the woman out of the drivers side while the older woman in the passenger seat was helped by Tommy and another stranger. I don't know how he got here so fast, but he assisting with first aid. The elderly woman was unconscious.

Minutes faded away as police sirens and ambulances quickly surrounded the crash area.

I'm standing by Tommy staring at the total wrecked front end of the Altima, as well as the two people being taken away on stretchers. The driver is hurt very badly. I'm not sure she's alive. Then the police ask for my statement and I give it so erratically, but Tommy holds my hand the whole time. My God, I could have died. If that Altima hadn't turned the corner just before I did I wouldn't of been able to get out of the way of that semi either.

Moving in a daze, I only know that Tommy's by my side the whole time. As evening gently gave way to night I'm in the passenger seat of my car as Tommy's driving me home. We haven't said a word to each other, but his touch has offered more comfort than anything he could ever say. I'm reminded as he opens the door for me that all the petty bullshit in the world doesn't matter. Life and death are all that matters. And tonight my death was a second away.

What would I have left behind?

Tommy's visibly trembling, evidence enough that he's still shaken up about things. We parted on such harsh words and if those were the last things we'd ever said to each other that would have been horrible. We mean to much to each other for things to end that way.

Walking up the stairs to our buildings entrance, Tommy opened the door for me, his hand gently at the small of my back. We're both edgy and quiet. Things between us have never been more intense, and after our fight we're lost on where to go from here. Why can't things ever be easy for us? Why am I so screwed up I can't welcome him into my life with open arms?

We entered the elevator alone and I pressed for the fourth floor, my hand trembling the whole time. His warm hand curled around mine and then I'm gently tugged against his chest. My head bowed over his shoulder, eyes shut. I sighed in relief, nestled against him. My fist clutched at his shirt as tears filled my eyes. My voice hitched when I begged him, "Please don't give up on me."

His arms tightened around me, with his hand gently cupping the back of my head. I could feel his steady heart beat, the rhythm soothing me. He whispered, "I couldn't if I tried."

I've never been so grateful. "I love you."

"I know."

* * *

**The End of Chapter 6**

**(Closing credits roll while voice over previewing the next episode begins)**

**"In the weeks to come leading to the scandalous season finale of 'The Glory Days' expect suprises galore... fast moving images of Aisha, Kira, Connor, Kimberly's mother, The Craniacs, a night club brawl, a desperate hunt for a wedding dress, and an elevator ride you'll never, ever, provided NBC allows us to air it, forget!!!!"**

**Suggested listening music for Episode 6:**

**"It's My Life" – Bon Jovi**

**"Remember" – Keisha Cole**

**"Time After Time" - Eva Cassidy**

**"You Remind Me" - Nickleback**

**"Beautiful Liar" - Beyonce featuring Shakira**

**"I Don't Wanna Be" - Gavin Degraw**

**"I Wish It Would Rain" - Phil Collins**


End file.
